Episode 1: Shizuka’s Path of the Dragon
As it approached the middle of June, summer was finally kicking off. But the landlord of Corona House was feeling a little down.
“It’s that time of year again...”
Staring at the calendar on the wall, deep love, sadness, and loneliness resonated in Shizuka’s eyes. One of the days in June was circled with red pen—the very spot on the calendar she was staring at.
“It’s already been almost five years since that day...”
Shizuka peeled her eyes away from the calendar and picked up a photo placed on the top shelf of her bookcase. The picture was of an elementary school girl wearing a karate dougi and holding a trophy together with her parents. Behind the smiling trio was Corona House. It had been taken to commemorate Shizuka winning a karate tournament.
“Dad, mom, I’m doing just fine...”
Next to where the photo had been was a small memorial tablet. Two months after the picture had been taken, Shizuka’s parents passed away. Ever since, she had been taking care of Corona House on her own. To her, Corona House was her parent’s legacy. It was full of memories for her. That’s why she couldn’t forgive anyone that would bring harm to it.
As Shizuka stared at the photo, Sanae’s face appeared from the floor at her feet.
“Hey, Shizuka. The tea is ready, so come on down.”
Sanae had poked up through the ceiling of room 106 to call Shizuka down for tea. As a former ghost, astral projection was a piece of cake for her, making her the go-to choice for relaying messages between the upstairs and downstairs floors.
“Thanks, Sanae-chan. I’ll be right there.”
Placing the photo back on the shelf, Shizuka decided to head down and join the others. Sanae took a look at the picture.
“...That’s a photo of your papa and mama, right?”
Sanae knew it was a family photo at first glance.
“Yeah. You can tell?”
Shizuka was a little surprised since she’d never shown Sanae a picture of her parents before.
“Yeah. Because Corona House has a lot of... residual memories, I think? It has those things in it.”
“That’s because they really treasured it.”
Shizuka hadn’t started living in Corona House until after her parents had passed away, but she would often visit to help them clean. She always remembered her parents working hard, and those memories remained even now.
“I can tell. That’s what it means when I can see lots of those memory things.”
Sanae could sense Shizuka’s parents’ hard work and care in a spiritual way. Sanae had only brought it up casually, but to Shizuka, what she said served as proof of her memories. Tears began to fill her eyes.
“Well, anyways... Hurry on down, Shizuka. There won’t be any snacks served if you don’t!”
“Yeah, I’ll be right there. Thanks again, Sanae-chan.”
Sanae waved and made a quick exit after that. Shizuka felt she must have done so out of courtesy. Since she was once a spiritual being, there was no way she hadn’t picked up on Shizuka’s feelings.
Shizuka turned back towards the bookshelf, wiped away her tears, and smiled at the photograph.
“Dad, mom, I was lonely after you died... but I’m fine now. When Satomi-kun and everyone else first came around, they were a handful... but I’m really happy now. I wish that these days could continue forever...”
Shizuka’s expression was far from dark. The grief of losing her parents wasn’t gone, but she’d been able to form new bonds since then to help ease the pain. That’s why sadness wasn’t the only thing inside of her heart anymore. There was also joy.
“I’ll tell you the whole story when I come to visit your graves, but I have to go now. Everyone is waiting for me...”
Drinking tea, eating snacks, and chatting. They were trivial, casual things, but they were things Shizuka was happy to do after so many years of going without. She felt normal again.
The floor creaked as she took a step.
“Hmm, I really do feel like I’ve put on weight... I should go on a diet...”
She felt so normal, in fact, that she was able to worry over the sound of her floor creaking. Shizuka was living her everyday life to its very fullest like she never had before.
“Heehee, maybe I should ask everyone...”
With a bounce in her step, Shizuka left room 206. Truth be told, “worry” wasn’t even the right word. All she was thinking about was how fun it would be to talk with everyone else about their weights.
Coming back from room 206 through the ceiling, Sanae slowly floated towards her body sitting in front of the TV.
“...Say, Sanae, how do you even do that?”
“Huh?”
Sanae was planning on merging with her physical form, but she stopped in midair when she heard Koutarou call out to her. She turned her head to look at him.
“Your body’s been sitting there playing games all this time, but you’re astral projecting.”
Sanae’s body was indeed sitting in front of the TV and playing video games. Yet Sanae had left her body behind to go up to room 206 and call Shizuka down. This was a mysterious spectacle not just to Koutarou, but to everyone else in room 106 too.
“Oh, that’s what you meant.”
Now understanding what Koutarou was curious about, Sanae twirled her finger around as she boastingly explained her trick.
“This is the Sanae-chan God Skill that I learned recently.”
“A new technique?”
“Yeah. Hey, you. Stop acting like a stranger and turn this way too.”
“O-Okay...”
The Sanae floating in the air called out to the Sanae playing games, causing her to put down her controller and turn towards Koutarou as well. For some reason, her cheeks were flushed and she was shyly looking down. She had a somewhat embarrassed and troubled atmosphere to her, completely different from the normal Sanae.
“Huh? Could the Sanae over there be... Sanae-san?”
Koutarou had seen Sanae like this before. It was how she used to act during the time she lost her memories.
“Bingo!”
“H-Hang on a sec! What are you splitting up for?!”
Koutarou began panicking, but the Sanae floating in the air was as calm as could be. In an attempt to soothe him, she flashed her normal smile and waved her hands.
“Calm down. We didn’t split up. Look.”
Next, she turned her back towards Koutarou. There, a tail-like cord extended out from around her waist. It trailed off and connected to the Sanae sitting in front of the TV.
“It’s a safety cable.”
“Then you didn’t split up? You’re okay?!”
Though Sanae had just explained it to him, Koutarou wasn’t quite convinced everything was okay. He worriedly looked between the two Sanaes as he recalled the events leading up to her regaining her body.
“Yeah. If it was a bad thing, I wouldn’t be this carefree.”
“Phew... Then don’t scare me like that. Last time was bad enough.”
It wasn’t until Sanae nodded at him again reassuringly that Koutarou finally felt relieved. The tension left his body in an instant and his shoulders drooped.
“Heeheehee, sorry.”
Sanae wanted to show off her new trick, but she didn’t want to cause Koutarou any needless worry, so she honestly apologized.
“So how does this work?”
After confirming that she was indeed safe and everything was fine, Koutarou finally got a little interested.
“Well, I only realized it recently, but this is what happens when only I try to leave my body. Isn’t it cool?”
In the end, Sanae only reflected on her actions for a few seconds before proudly sticking out her chest again. She was sorry for scaring him, but she still wanted to show off to Koutarou.
“I don’t think it’s really something to brag about...”
The Sanae sitting in front of the TV slumped her shoulders in embarrassment.
“Are you kidding? This is totally the kind of party trick you brag about! For sure!”
The Sanae in the air puffed out her chest even more and boasted like a proud child. She was the complete opposite of the more mature Sanae sitting in front of the TV.
“...Anything goes with you, doesn’t it?”
“Nah. See, since we share the same soul, the parts of it we use together can’t leave our body. I can’t properly astral project on my own.”
Koutarou was dumbfounded by Sanae being split in two again, but the Sanae floating in the air seemed to be having fun. To her, having Sanae-chan and Sanae-san exist at the same time was an exciting and welcome development.
“Sanae-chan, hurry back. I feel restless on my own.”
However, that wasn’t true for Sanae-san. She still looked troubled. The sensation of having a part of herself outside of her body left her feeling uneasy. And with her timid personality, she felt especially shy when she was around Koutarou and the others. That was why she was over by the TV playing games by herself.
“Come on now. You’re me too, so you should be bolder.”
“Easier said than done...”
“It’s not like you hate Koutarou and everyone else, right?”
“Th-That’s true... but...”
Even though their personalities were different, they shared memories and thoughts. The only real difference between them was the way they expressed their feelings. In the end, they were the same person.
“But... saying I like them kinda... you know... So hurry and come back, Sanae-chan!”
“You need to stop relying on me when you get shy. If you don’t become more independent, you’ll never become the perfect woman.”
“I can’t be one right away!”
“Jeez... What am I going to do with you?”
The Sanae in the air slumped her shoulders like an older sister dealing with an overly timid little sister would, and then approached the other Sanae. She was planning on returning to her body like she’d been asked. The Sanae on the floor spread her arms wide open, welcoming her.
“Thank you, Sanae-chan.”
“Starting tomorrow, we’re gonna start working on this anxiety around other people.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to do that.”
“You bet I do. We need to get Koutarou to love you too.”
“That’s impossible...”
“Shut up. I already said we’re doing it.”
“No way...”
The ghostly Sanae entered her half-crying body. The next moment, Sanae’s expression completely changed and became a somewhat dissatisfied frown. It was the face the ghostly version of Sanae had been making.
“So there you have it, Koutarou. Tomorrow we’re gonna start some training for her.”
“Sanae, you’re crazy...”
“What part?”
Confused, Sanae stared blankly at Koutarou. Each time she blinked, the tears that had been forming in her eyes earlier tumbled down her cheeks.
“What do you mean, ‘what part’? Hey...”
Koutarou felt a headache coming on as he wiped away Sanae’s tears. But Sanae was indifferent to his pain, and instead cheerfully kicked her legs back and forth while smiling.
“But the training is necessary.”
“Why?”
“We’re the same, after all. I just want her to get used to you too. And I want you to love everything about me. That goes for everyone else too, of course.”
“Uh...”
The conversation, all things considered, had been rather outrageous up until this point, but Sanae’s line of thinking was quite logical. Sanae-chan and Sanae-san were indeed both Sanae in the end. So if only one of them got along with the group, that would be problematic. And it wasn’t fair for them to ask her to stay as Sanae-chan all the time. Something like that might get in the way of Sanae’s personalities merging like they were supposed to. Ultimately, Sanae had a very good point.
“What is it? You don’t want to?”
Sanae tilted her head a little to the side and quietly looked at Koutarou. She then brushed her cheek against the palm of his hand that was wiping away her tears. Both Sanaes loved Koutarou.
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but... Um, when you’re in that state, it might be bad for your body, so let’s only do it when Korama and Karama are around, okay?”
“Understood, ho!”
Sanae mimicked the haniwas and then spun around behind Koutarou.
“I wonder if you really understand at all...”
“I do understand. Love is all.”
“...How convenient.”
“Eeheehee.”
Sanae jumped up on Koutarou’s back and threw her arms around his neck.
As their conversation reached its conclusion, Koutarou returned to his work with Sanae on his back. He was currently in the process of cleaning up a tool that was used for a certain something.
“By the way, Satomi-kun, why are you polishing a net?”
Harumi, who had been showing some interest, peeked at what Koutarou was doing with his hands. He was ardently polishing the bamboo handle of a traditional insect catching net.
“How good of you to ask, Sakuraba-senpai.”
Koutarou stopped what he was doing and presented the net to Harumi. Both its handle and his eyes were shining.
“Summertime is when Maximilian’s true value is revealed!”
“Maximilian?”
Harumi didn’t understand the meaning of the word.
“Sakuraba-senpai, Maximilian is what Satomi-san named his net.”
Seeing that Harumi was confused by the name she’d never heard before, Yurika leaned over and whispered the explanation in her ear. The two girls were sitting next to each other on the floor, and Harumi was helping Yurika study.
“Ah, I see...”
Now that she understood the significance of it, Harumi slightly nodded and smiled at Koutarou.
“Satomi-kun, are you going out insect hunting?”
“Sure am. When you think of summer, you automatically think of bugs. And the king of summer insects is—”
Koutarou realized what he was about to say and looked around nervously. Fortunately, he didn’t see any cause for alarm, and was able to finish his sentence without worry.
“The king of summer insects is none other than the mighty beetle! My season has finally come!”
Koutarou tightly clenched his beloved insect net in both hands, his eyes aglow with ambition. He was going to capture beetles during the summer this year. He had his trusty net Maximilian, his insect cage Henrietta, and the bottle filled with sap that he called Geraldine. It was still only early summer, but Koutarou was more than ready to launch his attack.
“But, but, Satomi-san... Even if you catch beetles, you can’t keep them here, right?”
Yurika was worried for the safety of any beetles brought to room 106. Based on past experiences, she couldn’t imagine things would end well for them.
“Heh heh, fear not, Yurika. Things are different this year. After all, I have Princess Clariossa with me now.”
“Hmm? Did you say something, Veltlion?”
Clan reacted to hearing Koutarou say her name. However, her voice was coming from somewhere up around the ceiling. She was using one of her gravity-manipulation inventions to use one of the walls in room 106 as the floor. She was lying on it—sideways to everyone else—and enjoying a book. It was highly useful now that the tiny apartment had more people in it than ever.
“I did. I was telling everyone how I’d be keeping beetles at your place.”
“Ah, that’s what you were talking about. We did indeed make that promise. I have some interest in the life forms of this planet myself.”
“So that’s why you look so happy about all of this, Koutarou.”
Beetles couldn’t be kept in room 106. Yurika had tried it once and it didn’t last long. But this was different. With Clan helping him out, Koutarou could keep all the beetles he wanted on her spaceship. And so he was excitedly preparing for summer to kick into full swing.
“I love you dearly, Princess Clariossa.”
“Jeez... You only treat me like a princess at times like this...”
Though Koutarou had said he loved her, she couldn’t take his words at face value when he was holding an insect net and his eyes were sparkling at the prospect of getting his hands on some beetles. Moreover, Koutarou had officially become Theia’s vassal a while back. Since she felt like she’d gotten a late start, Clan’s thoughts on this matter were complicated.
“Satomi-kun, if you want, I could keep them at my house.”
Seeing Clan’s bitter expression, Harumi offered her assistance. While Harumi was scared of aggressive animals and such, she didn’t harbor any hatred for harmless insects.
“It’s okay, Sakuraba-senpai. Clan has a fully automatic breeding case at her place.”
“...Then why do you look so reluctant, Clan-san?”
Since she had specialized equipment for it, any insects Koutarou brought her wouldn’t be much of a pain to take care of. But for some reason, Clan had a rather hesitant look on her face, which puzzled Harumi.
“It’s not that I’m reluctant... but...”
Clan blushed slightly and looked down. That gesture was all it took for Harumi to understand.
“Oh, so that’s why.”
Harumi quickly smiled at Clan and glanced at Koutarou.
“...”
That made Clan turn even redder, and she quickly looked away.
“What do you mean?” Koutarou asked.
“That’s a maiden’s secret.”
It hadn’t clicked for him like it had Harumi. And when he asked her to explain, she simply smiled and shook her head.
The conversation about beetles lasted for a while, but it came to its natural conclusion once Theia, Ruth, and Kiriha—who had all gone out to buy ingredients for dinner—returned to the apartment. About the same time, Shizuka who had just come down from the second floor, and Maki who had prepared tea, entered the inner room as well. All told, it made for a total of ten people. It was quite a crowd for such a small room, but as of late, that was the norm in room 106.
“Oh? You’ve gotten better at preparing tea, haven’t you, Aika-san?”
“Thank you, Kasagi-san. Actually, I’ve learned how to enjoy making proper tea.”
“Koutarou, feed me a waffle. Aah!”
“Sanae, stop playing games and get over here instead of trying to be lazy.”
“Clan-sama, have some tea.”
“Thank you, Pardomshiha. You can set it right there for me, thank you.”
“Sakuraba-senpai, how does she even do that? The cup is sideways.”
“I don’t know... I can’t believe it’s not magic, personally...”
“Kiriha, could I have one of these snacks later? I’d like my mother to try it.”
“I understand. I’d better reserve one for her now.”
With so many people all talking together, room 106 was always lively and noisy. There were even times that Elfaria, who was aboard Blue Knight after escaping with a handful of civilians from Forthorthe, would join in. If the apartment hadn’t been sound and vibration-proofed via magic and science, the other tenants would surely have busted down the door and fussed at them by now.
“Kiriha-san, could I have a moment?”
Waiting until after Kiriha set aside a snack to save for Elfaria, Koutarou approached her.
“I don’t mind,” she said with a nod.
And after handing Theia the wrapped snack for her mother, she turned towards Koutarou, who was crawling over to her.
“Could you strip?”
“Okay.”
Kiriha nodded once more, and started removing her school uniform that she still hadn’t changed out of.
“Kyaaaaaaaah! Satomi-kun, what are you just casually demanding?!”
“S-Satomi-sama?!”
“Yeah, Koutarou! That’s not how a Japanese man strips someone! You’re supposed to grab their sash and spin them around!”
“...Um, Sanae-chan, I think you’re worked up over the wrong thing.”
“Sakuraba-san, does Satomi-kun just want to see a naked girl? In that case, I’ll...”
“No, stop! Aika-san, you’ve got the wrong idea! Don’t take your clothes off! Please!”
Thanks to Koutarou asking Kiriha to take off her clothes, a riot broke out in room 106. The first ones to get angry were Shizuka and Ruth, followed by Sanae. After that, Yurika, Harumi, and Maki joined in, making the situation worse. It was a ruckus that pushed the apartment’s sound and vibration-proofing to its limits.
“Show me.”
“Look as much as you want.”
However, Koutarou completely ignored them all and leaned forward to gaze at Kiriha’s alabaster skin. It was an awfully intense gaze, even for a pervert.
“Jerk! You jerk! You big, dumb jerk! I thought you were different, Satomi-kun!”
Trembling with anger, Shizuka swung her fist at Koutarou. Just as she did, his expression brightened up and he sat back down. As a result, Shizuka’s blow only caught air.
“I’m glad... Looks like your wound has completely healed.”
Unaware of the danger he’d been in, Koutarou smiled at Kiriha, who still had her top pulled down. It was a clam, relieved smile. Kiriha smiled back at him and nodded.
“I told you that at school, didn’t I? That there’s no trace of it left... You’ve always been a worrywart about this kind of thing, Onii-chan...”
Kiriha whispered the latter half of what she said so that only Koutarou could hear it, and flashed an expression that reminded him of how she was when she was little. It was special for her to call him that, and she gave a special smile to go with it. She felt Koutarou was worrying too much, but at the same time, she was happy about that.
“Say what you will, but injuries are injuries. If I can’t see it’s better for myself, it’s hard to believe.”
Koutarou understood what Kiriha was saying. And she’d told the truth: there was no sign she’d even been hurt in the first place. She was seriously wounded during the battle a while back, and Koutarou could vividly recall her horribly bleeding shoulder. It was hard to get out of his mind, even when she’d told him it was completely healed. That’s why he’d needed to confirm it with his own two eyes.
“Onii-chan, do you dislike girls with scars...?” Kiriha teasingly whispered into his ear.
“No, it’s not that. But that’s not what this is about.”
“Oh, but that is what this is about, heehee...”
Seeing Kiriha’s innocent smile, Koutarou felt glad that the wound hadn’t been any more serious than it was. And finally seeing for himself that it was better, he felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. With that, everything was at last back to normal.
“...Hmm?”
That was when Koutarou noticed that everyone’s eyes were fixed on him, and that Shizuka was standing behind him with a blank look of surprise on her face. Unable to understand what was going on, he cocked his head to the side.
“What’s wrong, everyone?”
“Satomi-kun... y-you were checking on Kiriha-san’s... wound?”
“Yeah, I was. Is something wrong, Landlord-san?”
“I-I-It’s nothing! Nothing at all! Right, everyone?!”
Shizuka hurriedly tried to dodge the question and turned to everyone else in the room for backup. When she did, all the other girls involved in the fuss nodded their heads as one. But that only confused Koutarou even more.
“Well, something like that.”
“...If Veltlion could be seduced like that, then things might have been a little easier.”
The only two that had remained unmoved were the princesses from Forthorthe. They both knew that there had to be a reason behind Koutarou’s request. Harumi felt the same way, but she’d had her hands full trying to stop Maki from stripping too.
“...Oh well. So, Kiriha-san, does it hurt when you move your arm around?”
“There’s a slight sting occasionally. But that’ll heal soon enough too.”
While there was no sign of the wound on the surface, it still hadn’t fully healed inside. Moving her arm in a particular way caused her pain every now and again.
“I see. Then, Yurika... can’t help. Aika-san, could you cast some healing magic on Kiriha-san just in case?”
Yurika wouldn’t be able to do anything because her organization, Rainbow Heart, forbade the use of magic for private or personal reasons. But the same wasn’t true for Maki, who was part of Darkness Rainbow. So when it came to things like treating injuries, it was more convenient to have Maki do it.
“Yes, leave it to me, Satomi-kun! Come, Night Walker!”
Happy to be needed by Koutarou, Aika joyfully summoned her staff.
“It’s not like I can’t help...”
Yurika, on the other hand, was pouting. While she was forbidden from using magic for private reasons, she was willing to bend the rules a little for the sake of helping a close friend. She was happy that Koutarou was taking her circumstances into consideration, but she didn’t like being treated as useless.
“Don’t get angry, Yurika.”
“I’m not angry.”
“You are angry.”
“...I’m not really angry.”
“You don’t have to use magic to help out, you know.”
“I-It’s unfair when you put it like that... jeez...”
With Yurika’s personality, however, she didn’t dwell on it for long. By the time Kiriha was presenting her shoulder to Maki, her sour mood had already passed.
“I’m in your care.”
“Yes, leave it to me, Kiriha-san.”
Maki held her staff in both hands and began her incantation.
“Cure Serious Wounds. Permanent Regeneration.”
Maki cast two spells. One was to seal her wounds, and the other was to improve Kiriha’s healing abilities. Just sealing the wound mean that it might open again, so Maki used the second spell to speed up the natural healing process. They were considerate and well calculated spells, just like Maki.
“...Okay. That should do it.”
“Thank you, Maki.”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Maki revealed an embarrassed smile.
To rely on others and be relied on... It really is nice... How wonderful it would be to spend the rest of my life like this...
A sensation she’d never felt as part of Darkness Rainbow filled Maki’s chest. She was happy to be needed and thanked by someone. It was a little embarrassing since she still wasn’t used to it, but she’d begun to feel like this was what she wanted out of life. And right now, Maki felt she could even understand what Yurika had been fighting for.
That’s right, maybe I should ask him...
Maki put her staff away and boldly spoke up.
“Satomi-kun, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“What is it, Aika-san?”
Koutarou sipped his tea and nonchalantly looked over at Maki. Seeing her serious expression, however, he put his cup down and turned to face her properly.
“Something serious, huh?”
“Yes. I believe there is something we need to do for the future.”
“Something we need to do?”
“Yes.”
Maki nodded and pulled out something from the bag she was always carrying around.
“I want you to place a curse on me.”
Maki then handed what she’d pulled out to Koutarou. It was a belt made from thick leather. But it was too short to be worn around the waist. If anything, it looked like a collar for a large pet.
“A curse?!”
Koutarou’s eyes opened wide in surprise.
“Wait a minute! Why do I need to do something like that?!”
“Since Darkness Rainbow thinks that you’ve captured me and taken me prisoner, this is what they’d expect you to do.”
“O-Oh... you’re probably right.”
When Koutarou had fought against Maki’s master, he lied and told Maya that he’d captured Maki. That’s why Darkness Rainbow believed she was being held prisoner.
“But as things are, I’m still walking around freely. Should they ever see me, Darkness Rainbow will suspect something.”
“Huh, yeah. I didn’t think of that.”
Though it hadn’t been long since Maki joined Koutarou and the others, Darkness Rainbow would eventually realize that she wasn’t actually being held against her will since captives weren’t normally allowed to walk around as they pleased. That would put Maki in a tricky situation. There was a high chance that she would be deemed a traitor and disposed of.
“That’s why I want you take away my freedom, Satomi-kun. Be it through brainwashing, a curse, or a contract. Whatever you want.”
“W-Wait a minute, that’s going way too far!”
Koutarou understood what Maki was saying. She wanted to actually play the part of a prisoner so that Darkness Rainbow wouldn’t suspect anything. For the sake of making it obvious, she had prepared the collar she handed to Koutarou. By placing a curse in the collar, it would make it look like she was under his control.
“A curse that would kill me if I disobey you, or that would choke me on command. Something extreme like that. Something that gives the impression I’m under your complete and total domination would be good, Satomi-kun.”
“N-No way! There’s no way I could do something like that!”
Koutarou refused in a fluster. He couldn’t even imagine himself doing what Maki was asking.
“If you don’t, we’ll be found out sooner rather than later.”
“If you died because I said something dumb while talking in my sleep, I couldn’t live with myself.”
Curses, brainwashing, contracts. Regardless of what she called it, Koutarou was against doing anything of the sort to Maki. Of course, even with a curse or something like it in place, Koutarou wouldn’t make use of it. Killing Maki was completely out of the question. But he wouldn’t point a gun at Maki, not even if it was an unloaded one. Doing something like that would make both Maki and Koutarou unhappy, and he simply couldn’t accept that.
“Theia, Clan, Kiriha-san. Help me think of a way to trick those guys without using a real curse.”
“That’s more like my vassal. Very well. I’ll help as much as I can.”
“If you’re going to beg, then fine. I’ll help too.”
“Let me think... Those magical girls are lacking in scientific knowledge. I imagine that just by making a device in the shape of a collar, there’s a high chance that they would mistake it for the real thing.”
Koutarou quickly turned to Theia and the others for advice. Maki simply stayed quiet and watched over them as they talked. The only thing she did while waiting for them to reach a conclusion was to pick up the collar that had been left lying around.
“Aika-san...”
Seeing Maki pick up the collar, Shizuka could imagine how she must have really felt. Since they were roommates now, she had a good idea of what was in Maki’s heart.
Aika-san wants something she can rely on, doesn’t she...?
Maki would never again return to Darkness Rainbow. Essentially, she had nowhere to go. While Corona House was her new home, it would take more time for that feeling to truly sink in. Learning to call somewhere home wasn’t something that happened overnight.
That’s why Maki wanted Koutarou to deprive her of her freedom. She wanted a clear connection to him, and she was using Darkness Rainbow as a means to make it happen. Even if it meant having a gun turned on her at all times.
I have to do something... I feel bad for Aika-san...
Knowing Maki’s true feelings, Shizuka couldn’t just leave her be. And so she too began thinking of a way to save Maki.
In the end, the countermeasure they decided on for Darkness Rainbow made use of Kiriha’s idea. They would use a hi-tech device to make it look like Maki was being held captive.
The ones to make it would be Clan and Ruth. It would have the appearance of a collar, and would be able to make it look like Maki was being choked. Of course, it wouldn’t actually have the function to choke her. It would just be for show. Really, it would be something very similar to Theia and Ruth’s bracelets.
Koutarou and the others concluded that using technology to make it look like Maki was being choked would be enough to trick the evil magical girls. The only problem was that it would stand out in school, but that could be resolved by concealing it with magic. It wouldn’t be hard to make it invisible so that other students couldn’t see it, and doing that would make it seem more real to Darkness Rainbow.
Once a conclusion had been reached, Koutarou and the others went about doing their own things. A few of them began playing games, some started working on their homework, and plenty more. Koutarou in particular was in a kitchen holding a knife. It wasn’t room 106’s kitchen, however, but the kitchen on Blue Knight.
The reason for this was Kiriha. When she’d started to make dinner like usual, Koutarou had stopped her and told her that she didn’t need to do any more chores until her wound was fully healed for sure. He then claimed the job of fixing dinner for himself. In response, she requested a roasted chicken like he had once made for her. But since he couldn’t have a large open flame in an apartment, he’d have to use an oven. And the one in room 106 wasn’t nearly big enough. So in the end, he’d moved to preparing dinner aboard Blue Knight.
“Theia, how’s it going? Are you almost done?”
“J-Just wait a little longer. I’ve never filleted a chicken before.”
“Then should I do it?”
“I don’t just want to watch. I’ll handle it.”
“That’s the spirit. You can do it.”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
“Master, I’ve finished preparing the herbs.”
“Thanks, Ruth-san. Can you mix them in with what you made before? That’ll finish up our sauce.”
“Very well. I’ll do just that. Though I must say, these herbs sure are a bit on the strong side...”
“Ahahaha. Back then, ingredients didn’t keep well, so it was necessary to use spices with a stronger flavor.”
“I see. Her Majesty Elfaria might want to try this as well.”
“Ah crap... she’ll definitely complain later and say I should have told her sooner.”
“Heh, my mother just might.”
Theia and Ruth were lending Koutarou a hand with making dinner. Since it was a Forthorthian-style dish and he didn’t really know how to use their kitchen, he’d needed their help. And so the three of them were cheerfully working together to make a meal for everyone.
The night’s dinner was roast chicken, like Kiriha had requested, with bread and soup on the side. Since they were things Koutarou had learned to cook during his travels, they were all simple to make. The three of them were currently in the middle of preparing the chicken while waiting for the bread dough to ferment. Everything was proceeding smoothly, and dinner would soon be done. Or so it should have been.
“Ouch!”
The chicken’s legs bounced up and smacked Theia in the face. It was the result of putting too much force into chopping with a knife she was unused to using. Surprised by it, she lurched backwards a great deal.
“What’s wrong?!”
“Your Highness!”
Hearing Theia’s shout, Koutarou and Ruth came running.
“Did you cut your hand?! Or was it somewhere else?!”
Koutarou took the knife out of Theia’s hands and looked over them to see if she’d cut herself. Ruth wiped them clean to make it easier for him to examine her.
“I-I’m fine! I just put a little too much force into it and its legs hit my face. I’m not hurt anywhere...”
Flustered at seeing her two companions so awfully worried, Theia quickly explained what happened. She also wiggled her fingers to show them that she wasn’t hurt.
“I see... Don’t scare me like that.”
“Sorry. My hand just slipped a little.”
“As long as you are safe...”
“Yes. Sorry for the trouble.”
Theia was more concerned about her two worried friends than she was herself. Fortunately, smiles soon returned to Koutarou and Ruth’s faces. Seeing that, Theia felt relieved and took up her knife once more.
“All right, let’s try that again.”
Theia got back to work. Her knife handling was still unsteady, but she was gradually getting the job done.
“I know I’m repeating myself, but are you sure you don’t want me to do it? You only have to sit back and give me orders.”
Koutarou offered to take Theia’s place once more, thinking that preparing a chicken was perhaps a bit much for a beginner like Theia.
“No, I’ll take care of it.”
However, Theia shook her head again. She stopped what she was doing and looked over at him.
“But it is true that I could order you whenever, wherever, and however I wish.”
Koutarou had pledged his loyalty to Theia. As his master, she now had the authority to order him to do anything. That even included how he used his life.
“Then just leave something like this to—”
“But what I want is not a puppet that looks like you. I want to see and feel the same things you do as you act out of your own free will. So if you cook, I will too. That is the path that I and Ruth have chosen.”
Theia smiled quite happily. She was full of confidence, as if to say this was the world to her.
“It is just as Her Highness says.”
Ruth nodded as well. She was standing next to Theia and had the same expression on her face. The two of them had chosen the same path in life.
“So if you ask me to give you an order even now, then...”
The smile on Theia’s face disappeared for a brief moment as she peered into Koutarou’s eyes.
“Koutarou, live the way you wish. Laugh, hate, cry, and love as you please.”
After saying that, Theia smiled again.
“This is the only order I can give to you as your lord right now.”
“Theia...”
Theia’s smile was so beautiful that Koutarou couldn’t answer her immediately. Instead, he just stared raptly at her.
“That might be your last order though. Heh...”
Theia believed that Koutarou would treasure the same things she did. That’s why she didn’t need to order him around. She may give him information and instructions from time to time, but not orders.
“That’s why I will do this. I might not be able to do it like you, but I want to do it with my own hands.”
Still holding her knife, Theia’s expression turned a little childish. At that, Koutarou returned to his senses and smirked a little at her.
“Yeah, okay. I get it. You’re so stubborn...”
“Heh, your princess is very selfish.”
Koutarou gave up on trying to talk Theia out of it. After what she’d said, he wanted to let her do as she pleased. Otherwise, it would feel like he was rejecting her. As both her friend and her knight, that was something he didn’t want to do.
“But I’ll help. At this rate, you’ll end up cutting your hand off.”
“That’s not true! I’ll show you I can do this perfectly safely! Don’t take me for a fool.”
“Theia, I will live as I please, and that means protecting what I want to protect.”
“A-Auuugh... Fine, then... I will allow you to help...”
Theia reflexively blushed and cast a glance up at Koutarou. Her heart began beating faster as the blood rushed to her head. It was a perfectly normal thing for a knight to say to their master, but she was a little flustered at being told that he wanted to protect her.
“I am most honored.”
“G-Good, then let’s start.”
Like that, Koutarou and Theia began working together. With a clear goal before them and a few minutes to calm herself down, Theia was back to normal in no time. Her knife skills were as shaky as ever, but with Koutarou by her side, there was no need to worry.
“Wait, Theia, you really will cut yourself like that.”
“Oops. Then how do I do it?”
“Hold your hand like this.”
“Like this?”
“No, not like that. Like this.”
“I am doing that!”
“You’re not! Look at my hands!”
“I am! And I did do it right! You’ve just got the wrong idea!”
As master and servant, Theia and Koutarou acknowledged and respected each other, forming a strong bond between them. Yet in spite of all that, the atmosphere between them was the same as it had ever been. They would loudly argue, glare at each other, and sometimes even resort to violence. Despite their relationship as a knight and his princess, they were just a normal teenage boy and girl in the end. Before they knew it, they were already long past their difference in status and the planets they were born on.
But I’m sure neither Her Highness nor Master realizes how wonderful of a thing this is...
They were both friends and a master and her servant simultaneously. Neither relationship inhibited the other. Ruth had never seen anyone else with that kind of bond before. Surely it was some kind of miracle. Compared to that, even Ruth and Theia’s sisterly relationship was far more commonplace.
“Don’t get so full of yourself just because people are worrying about you!”
“Fine! I’ll show you who the master really is here!”
They butted heads without hesitation. All kinds of raw emotions were clashing right in front of Ruth.
If possible, I’d hope you can share just even a small portion of that with me...
Being able to join in on that clash was currently Ruth’s greatest wish. She knew that Koutarou and Theia’s fights only served to bring them closer.
With the chicken in the oven, Theia and Ruth went to take a bath since it would be quite some time before it was done roasting. Once they were finished, Koutarou would take his turn. But for now, Koutarou had parked himself in front of the oven and was taking a peek at the chicken and adjusting the temperature from time to time.
“Right... The temperature should be fine like this...”
Since using the oven was different from roasting something over an open flame, it took Koutarou a while before he could properly adjust the humidity, but the chicken was now cooking the way he wanted it to. All that was left was to avoid overcooking it.
“Hmm?”
That was when he felt the presence of someone behind him.
“That was fast. Are you done already?”
Koutarou figured it was Theia or Ruth, and he called out to them as he turned around to look towards the entrance to the kitchen.
“Huh?”
However, neither one of the girls were standing there. The sliding door was open, but he didn’t see anyone. As Koutarou started to wonder why the door had opened, several faces appeared in the doorframe and peeked in at him. It was a group of young boys and girls.
“Is that the Blue Knight?”
“It is.”
“But... he’s not blue at all.”
“Stupid. It’s not like he’s always going to be wearing his armor.”
“I think his face is the same.”
“Then it must be the Blue Knight. But why is the Blue Knight cooking?”
“I wonder...”
The children were talking about something while looking at Koutarou. But since he couldn’t understand the language they were speaking, he wasn’t sure what they were saying.
I shouldn’t have left my bracelet behind...
It was a small group of children from Forthorthe who had escaped with Elfaria. They were speaking Modern Forthorthian, which Koutarou would have been able to speak and understand himself with the help of the automatic translation function in his bracelet or armor. But unfortunately, he’d left the bracelet behind in room 106 since he was worried it might get in the way of cooking, and his armor had been stored in the hangar after the repairs on it were complete. As a result, he had no way of talking with the children.
“Do you have any business with me?”
But even then, he couldn’t just sit there and ignore them. He knew he had to say something in order not to scare them. In the worst case scenario, he could always try communicating through gestures.
“Hey, he’s saying something.”
“What did he say?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t hear it because he’s so far away.”
“Let’s get closer. He doesn’t look that scary.”
“He is cooking, after all.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Koutarou still couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he did understand that they seemed to have reached some kind of consensus. Based on the fact that they were now coming closer, he figured they must have been discussing.
“What is it? Did you smell the food?”
Koutarou figured that the children must have smelled the chicken cooking while they were exploring the ship.
“So this is the Blue Knight...”
“Yeah. Me and my dad saw him before. This is definitely him.”
“He’s not as big as I thought.”
“Everyone, we have to greet him properly or Sensei will get mad at us.”
“Hello, Blue Knight.”
“Hello.”
However, the kids surrounded him and began talking about something again. They weren’t so much as glancing at the chicken in the oven. That left Koutarou at a loss as to how to respond. If they weren’t there for food, he wasn’t sure why they’d come.
“So, what brings you guys here?”
The only reaction he could manage was cocking his head to the side.
“What is he saying?”
“Hey, could it be that he doesn’t understand what we’re saying?”
“Did they speak a different language in the past?”
“Yeah. In the movies, there are always words at the bottom.”
“Doesn’t anyone speak the old language?”
“I know a little! I studied it together with my sister!”
“Good! Then you try talking to him!”
“Okay, um... ‘Nice to meet you. I am Myulaua.’”
“Oh?”
There was one girl in the group who could speak a language Koutarou was familiar with: Lower Ancient Forthorthian, the common language used two thousand years ago. Having spent several months in the past, Koutarou had a somewhat decent understanding of the language. Now that they finally had some common ground, he responded with his best Ancient Forthorthian.
“Hello, Myulaua.”
“He understood it! He said hello!”
“Try talking to him some more!”
“Ask him if he’s the real Blue Knight!”
“Okay, I’ll try. ‘Are you the Blue Knight?’”
“Hmm... I am a Blue Knight, but specifically, I am Princess Theiamillis’s Blue Knight,” Koutarou answered honestly.
“It was hard for me to understand... but I think he said that he really is the Blue Knight.”
Unfortunately, the girl’s understanding of his answer was imperfect, and Koutarou’s real intention wasn’t conveyed properly.
“It’s him! It’s the real Blue Knight!”
“I told you!”
“Sorry.”
“I want to take a picture of the Blue Knight! I’ll brag about it to everyone!”
“Me too! Myu, ask him for us!”
“Hang on a second... ‘You, us... make portrait?’”
“Portrait?”
Koutarou was confused by the seemingly random word. But once he saw the small device one of the boys was pointing at him, he understood its meaning.
I see. “Photograph” wasn’t a word back then.
The boy was holding a camera. It was made with the latest technology from Forthorthe, but it was much the same size and shape of those commonly found on Earth. Koutarou had also seen Theia and Clan use something similar before, so he quickly realized what it was.
“I don’t really mind...”
Koutarou figured that the children only wanted to take a picture of the alien that had become Theia’s vassal. He never suspected that the children, much less the adults there, were completely convinced that he was the Blue Knight.
“‘Thank you!’”
“All right! We get to take a picture with the Blue Knight!”
“Send it to me later, okay?”
“Sure!”
“Everybody gather around!”
“‘Blue Knight! Come!’”
“H-Hey...”
The girl that had spoken to Koutarou grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a more open area in the kitchen. The children were planning on taking their picture there. However...
In the midst of the excitement, the girl bumped into a cabinet. Koutarou and the others had left the door to it open to make cooking easier, since several kinds of utensils were stored inside. The impact from the girl bumping into it shook the cabinet quite a bit, causing several of the utensils to fall off the shelf towards the girl—some of which were heavy or sharp. It was a disaster in the making.
“Look out!”
Koutarou was the first to realize what was happening, and immediately summoned his spiritual energy in response. Thanks to Sanae clinging to him on a daily basis, it instantly strengthened him.
Five things are falling!
A kitchen knife, a pot, a frying pan, a large plate, and a bottle of cooking alcohol.
Koutarou started by reaching out for the knife. Since it was falling blade-first straight towards the girl, it was the biggest threat. He snatched the handle of the knife with his right hand and punched the pot with his left. The impact sent the pot flying safely away from the children. Since it was a rather large pot, hitting it like that hurt quite a bit. If he hadn’t concentrated his spiritual energy into his fist to do it, he would surely have screamed out in pain.
Next is...!
Koutarou then slammed the butt of the knife’s handle into the frying pan with enough force to dent the frying pan and send it crashing into the ceiling.
And finally...!
All that was left was the large plate and bottle. Since they were now both directly above the girl’s head, Koutarou didn’t have time to deal with them separately. He swiftly spun his body around and launched a kick.
His leg passed just a few centimeters above the girl’s head just in time to meet the plate in bottle. It wasn’t a second too soon, but his leg caught them and sent them flying in a different direction. They never touched the girl. They both crashed into the floor and shattered in a burst of plate fragments and alcohol.
“Did I do it?!”
After finishing things up with his kick, Koutarou checked to see if the girl was okay. Her eyes were wide open in surprise, but she seemed unharmed.
“Phew... You don’t seem to be hurt...”
After confirming that she was fine, Koutarou’s shoulders slumped in relief. He then returned the knife in his hand to the shelf and fixed it firmly in place, careful to make sure it wouldn’t fall again even if someone bumped into the cabinet. When he closed the door to the unit, the other children who had been standing there stock-still seemed to return to their senses.
“Did you see that...?”
“I did... I mean, I did, but I couldn’t actually see anything...”
“But even if we couldn’t see it... there’s no doubting it...”
“Yeah, that’s definitely the Blue Knight...”
“That was just like a cartoon I saw the other day.”
“Hey, did you get that on video?”
“Probably. I was recording from the start.”
“Send me that later too.”
“Sure. Let’s show everyone else, too. I bet they’ll never believe it.”
Having witnessed Koutarou’s power firsthand, the children were even more stunned by him than the girl’s near tragic accident. Even though they’d been told that Koutarou was the real Blue Knight before, it wasn’t until that moment that they were fully convinced of it.
“‘U-Um, Blue Knight, thank you for saving me...”
“Owowow, I messed up! I put too much strength in it!”
However, the legendary knight that had surprised the children and gained their respect was too distracted to even notice their gazes as the pain from punching the pot set in on him.
When Koutarou’s cooking was brought back to room 106, the girls got noisy. The food presented to them looked far more delicious than they had expected.
“K-K-Koutarou! Did you really make this?! You didn’t just let Ruth do it for you?!”
“Yeah, I made it.”
“No way! You’ve gotta be lying!”
“Have some faith in me, jeez! Anyways, calm down Sanae. You’re troubling Sanae-san.”
“Y-Yes, please come back, Sanae-chan.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Most astonished of all was Sanae, who was so surprised that she jumped clean out of her own body. But she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Apart from Kiriha and Clan (and Theia and Ruth who had been with him in the kitchen), everyone gathered around the table stared at the food in wide-eyed disbelief.
Tonight’s menu was a roasted chicken with bread and soup. The dishes were very simple, but the smell from the chicken and herb sauce whet everyone’s appetite, the bread looked oh-so light and airy, and the stock for the soup that made use of the chicken bones had come out well. A great deal of care had clearly been put into each part of the meal. It seemed unusually thoughtful for the ordinarily rough-around-the-edges Koutarou that the girls couldn’t help being surprised.
“Heehee, Koutarou wanted to keep this part of him a secret too...” said Kiriha, a cheerful expression on her face.
“Kii, it looks like the secrets we get to keep to ourselves are gradually decreasing,” said Clan, pouting in contrast.
The two of them knew about Koutarou’s hidden talents like cooking and cleaning. That was because they’d known him in the past. Since Clan in particular had been with him over a long period of time, she very felt rather strongly that she was the only one who knew what Koutarou was really like. That’s why she got a little defensive every time a different part of him was revealed.
“S-Sakuraba-senpaaai, it looks like Satomi-san could cook...”
Yurika, strangely enough, was in tears. She was well aware of how unfeminine she was, but she never dreamed she’d lose to a boy. Especially not to someone who was normally as unrefined as Koutarou. But now, seeing this, her confidence in herself shattered. She didn’t think she could make something as delicious as what was placed in front of her.
“H-How could I even be of use to Satomi-san like this...?”
Since Yurika had always imagined that she would be able to make herself useful to Koutarou through cooking, she couldn’t help the tears forming in her eyes at the scene developing right in front of her.
“Nijino-san...”
While Harumi sympathized with Yurika, she had no trouble accepting that Koutarou could actually cook.
“If you calm down and think about it... it’s not all that strange for Satomi-kun to be handy in the kitchen.”
“...It’s not?”
“He’s so ardent about knitting, and he treasures the equipment he uses for baseball and insect hunting. If he put his mind to cooking, I think it’s only natural for him to be good at it.”
Harumi could actually think of one more reason as to why Koutarou was able to cook so well.
Satomi-kun grew up without a mother... He must have known the basics of housework even before he went to Forthorthe...
But it was far too sad to say it out loud. Which was why Harumi instead pretended that she was none the wiser and kept her mouth closed.
“Harumi, Harumi! Does that mean that someone who half-asses everything like Yurika will never be able to match Koutarou at anything?”
“Um, well... That’s...”
“Sakuraba-senpai, please say it’s not true! And don’t hesitate like that!”
Harumi found herself unable to deny Sanae’s cruel words, and Yurika only cried harder.
Yurika wept bitterly, but it only lasted until dinner started. Once it was time to eat, her tears dried, and she was happily stuffing her mouth alongside Sanae. They both looked like they hadn’t eaten anything in days.
“Come on now. The both of you. If you eat like that you’re going to ruin your figures.”
Shizuka paused from her own meal and worriedly watched them shoveling food.
“Ahm, nom nom, hahm!”
“Mham, hom nom, mm!”
Yurika and Sanae both answered her, but with their mouths so full, they didn’t make a lick of sense. However, since neither of them showed any signs of slowing down, they were probably saying something along the lines of “we don’t care.”
“Jeez... Don’t come crying to me later then...”
Shizuka smiled wryly before tearing off a piece of her bread and popping in her mouth. As she did, Maki who was sitting next to her gave her a pensive look.
“Kasagi-san, do you not like Satomi-kun’s cooking?”
“I think it’s great.”
Shizuka shook her head. All of the dishes were delicious, and she enjoyed the fluffy texture of the bread in particular.
“But... you don’t seem to be eating a lot.”
Maki had noticed that Shizuka had barely touched the dishes. That’s why she figured that she might not like the taste.
“Hahmn?”
“Mah?”
Hearing this, Sanae and Yurika stopped eating and turned to look at Shizuka. To her, it looked like they were offering to eat her portion as well. Figuring now was as good a chance as any, Shizuka began explaining.
“Actually, I’ve gained some weight recently, so I was thinking of going on a diet.”
Shizuka had been worried about her weight for a while now. When she walked around upstairs, the floorboards would creak from time to time. That had never been the case in the past, so she figured it meant she’d put on some weight. Going on a diet seemed like the obvious solution.
“A diet?”
The word was unfamiliar to Maki, who hadn’t given much care to health and beauty in the past. Since she had grown up in the slums, getting fat hardly seemed like a bad thing to her. If anything, she considered it a status symbol. Maki had a slender build because she’d devoted herself to battle, but the thought of intentionally losing weight had never occurred to her.
“This is important, Aika-san. You might be wearing swimsuits in the coming season, right?”
“That... might be the case, yes.”
“If your flab bulges out of your suit, the person you love might lose interest in you.”
“Swimsuits...? Flab...? The person I love...?”
Maki’s more feminine side that normally lay dormant awoke and began working overtime.
That... wouldn’t be very cute...
Maki looked down at herself and reached that conclusion. Just like Shizuka said, she wouldn’t have the courage to wear a swimsuit with flab hanging out of it in front of the person she loved. That was when, for the first time in her life, she realized that the roasted chicken in front of her might be her mortal enemy. She shivered as she faced its devilish temptation.
“I think I’ll diet with you.”
“I think that’s for the best. It’s good for your health, too.”
Having gained an ally, Shizuka was already making plans for their diet in her head.
“Kasagi-san, you said you’ve gained weight, but by how much?”
Harumi stopped eating and looked at Shizuka. To her, it didn’t look at all like Shizuka needed to go on a diet. Her complexion was healthy and her figure was beautiful. Truth be told, Shizuka’s current figure was Harumi’s ideal.
“I don’t know yet. The scale is broken, but when I stood on it, it showed more than 200 kilos. That’s why I’m going to go out and buy a new one tomorrow.”
“Ahaha, let me know when you find out.”
Being sickly and thin, Harumi had always wanted to be more like Shizuka. That’s why she was interested in her fluctuating weight. Shizuka, on the other hand, wished she was thinner like Harumi was.
“A diet, huh...?”
Listening in on the conversation, Theia put her hands on her stomach while lost deep in thought. As a teenage girl, she was also naturally concerned about her figure. Her childish body type was round in some places, so she began considering joining in on the diet.
“Theia, you shouldn’t do it.”
However, Koutarou was against it.
“Why?”
“Rather than worrying about your width, you should worry about your height. Eat more and grow. If you go on a diet, you won’t grow any taller.”
“Wha...”
Koutarou’s frank opinion left her speechless.
“It’s too early for you to go on a diet. You should wait until you’re at least as tall as Ruth-san.”
“Arrrgh! I go out of my way to listen to you, and that’s what you have to say?! Just who do you think I’d be going on a dieting for, anyway?!”
Theia had been thinking that the people serving her would be happier with a cuter princess. Yet here her vassal was, telling her that it was too early for her to become cuter. It was a remark that hurt her pride.
“I get it. It’s for the people, right? This is just my opinion, but I think the people would feel more at ease with a tall princess rather than a thin one.”
“Guh... Y-You’re right...”
However, once Koutarou brought up her citizens, she was unable to offer any argument. Theia very reluctantly backed down, though large tears formed in her eyes to her chagrin.
“O-One day... One day I’ll make this idiot eat his words...”
“I sympathize with you, Your Highness.”
“I’ll captivate him with my sexy body one day. Until then, Ruth, you do something.”
“I will try my best.”
Ruth accepted with a bitter smile. But in all honesty, Ruth wasn’t confident. It was quite clear that when it came to attractive figures, Ruth was no match for Kiriha. But even then, she remained optimistic.
I can’t imagine Master’s opinion of someone would change depending on how they looked...
The situation wasn’t actually as bad as Theia imagined it to be. But taking things like this so seriously was part of her cute side. Knowing that, Ruth said nothing more and simply watched over the irritated Theia.
Once dinner was over, Shizuka shared her diet ideas with everyone, and the girls of room 106 agreed to participate. They were all interested in maintaining their figures too. The plan consisted of both an exercise program and food restrictions. Of course, since each of the girls had different needs, the food restrictions wouldn’t apply to all of them, including sickly Harumi and short Theia. They would all take part in the exercising, however. They thought that would be good for everyone’s health.
“Being a girl sure must be a pain...”
Being a guy, Koutarou didn’t understand the subtleties of the girls’ hearts. He simply thought it must be a lot of work to live the way they did as he watched over them from the sidelines.
“Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you? You’re going to do it too, Satomi-kun.”
“What?! I have to join too?!”
“Isn’t that only obvious? There’s no point in doing something like this unless everyone joins in.”
Since he began training with Ruth, Koutarou’s weight had stayed about the same. He had no need for a diet, but Shizuka was going to impose one on him anyways.
Oh well. Having everyone strive for the same goal does kinda sound like fun...
In the end, Koutarou had no objections. Being the only one left out would be boring, so he figured he might as well join in and enjoy things with the others.
And around the time he came to this conclusion, a low-pitched, masculine voice reached his ears.
“Can you hear me, Blue Knight?”
At the same time, the crest on the back of his hand began faintly glowing. Since male voices were rare in room 106, Koutarou was surprised at first, but once he saw the glowing crest, he quickly understood what was happening.
“Alunaya-dono, you’ve awakened.”
The one calling out to him was the being he’d recently summoned, Fire Dragon Emperor Alunaya. Alunaya had used up all of his energy that day and entered a dormant state while he was recovering. It seemed he’d finally worked up enough energy to be able to talk with Koutarou.
“It seems I’ve caused you worry. Forgive me.”
“Don’t think anything of it. You saved us, after all.”
Koutarou could speak directly to Alunaya in his mind thanks to the connection they had via the crest on the back of his hand. That’s why no one else could hear what they were saying. It was a discussion that not even Alunaya’s host, Shizuka, could hear.
“But are you okay now?”
“That was what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Is something the matter?”
Koutarou grew slightly uneasy. It sounded like Alunaya had gotten in touch with him because something was wrong.
“There is no cause for alarm. There are no problems with myself. Mary... No, that wasn’t it. The girl I am residing in... Shizuka, I think it was. She is in no danger either. Everything will return to normal in a while.”
“I see...”
Koutarou was relieved. He’d been concerned for Alunaya who had used up all of his mana, and for Shizuka who had become his host. But fortunately, that all seemed to be unfounded.
“However, there is one minor issue.”
“And what’s that?”
“It’s about this weight management program that Shizuka is about to undergo... A diet, I think she called it. It is, without a doubt, going to fail.”
“Whaaaaaaaat?!”
Completely taken aback by Alunaya’s unexpected words, Koutarou reflexively let out a shout of surprise. When he did, all of the eyes in the room gathered on him. They were all wondering what was wrong.
“What’s the matter, Satomi-kun?”
Shizuka, who was leading the discussion on dieting, asked Koutarou what was up on behalf of everyone.
“N-No, it’s nothing. Sorry for interrupting.”
“Really? That’s good, I guess. So anyways...”
Koutarou hadn’t offered a decent explanation, but the girls were so caught up in their dieting talk that they quickly forgot about his outburst and moved on.
“Jeez...”
With the girls having lost interest in him, Koutarou let out a sigh of relief as Alunaya began talking to him again.
“Sorry for startling you.”
“No, it was just so unexpected... So you were saying Landlord-san’s diet plan is going to fail?”
“Yes. You see, the reason Shizuka’s weight has increased is me.”
At Koutarou’s request, Alunaya began explaining. Apparently, Alunaya was so powerful that he had an effect on his surroundings even if he wasn’t actively doing anything. Since that was troublesome, he ordinarily used magic to offset the effects he caused. Thanks to that, nobody had noticed that Alunaya was inside of Shizuka all this time. However, having used up the majority of his power in the previous battle, he was no longer able to fully counteract the effect he had on his surroundings.
“...And that’s how it is.”
“So Landlord-san hasn’t really gained any weight, it’s just her surroundings that have gotten weird?”
“That’s right. Because I can’t correct the distortions in the space surrounding Shizuka, it appears as though she’s heavier than she really is.”
“So lowering her weight through dieting is...”
“Impossible. Her weight will not return to normal any other way than waiting for me to regain my powers.”
Shizuka hadn’t gained weight, but the space she occupied was distorted in a way that caused her weight to increase. Lowering her physical mass would have no effect on that distortion. That was why Alunaya was saying that her diet would be fruitless.
“If we leave things as they are, Shizuka will eventually notice the abnormality with her body. She’ll probably find out the next time she gets on a scale. What do we do, Blue Knight?”
“Th-That’s bad! We have to do something!”
By summoning Alunaya, Koutarou had gotten Shizuka involved in things. That’s why he felt like it was his responsibility to make sure that she could still live her life normally. It was why he hadn’t told her about Alunaya. Nobody would be happy to learn that there was another creature residing inside their body, after all. So in order to protect the normalcy of Shizuka’s everyday life, Koutarou needed to keep Alunaya a secret.
Koutarou’s first order of business was keeping Shizuka from getting on a scale. That, however, was taken care of thanks to Clan, who offered to take more accurate measurements with instruments on her spaceship. Shizuka was given fake data for her weight, or, more precisely, an estimation of her original weight. She was using that as the basis for her dieting plans, and had accordingly put off buying a new scale. So the immediate crisis had been adverted for the time being.
“Sorry for always causing you trouble.”
“You can say that again. Do you really only remember I exist when you need something?”
The only remaining problem was Clan, who was sulking on the other end of the communications device. Clan didn’t like that Koutarou had recently only been treating her like a convenience. She puffed out her cheeks and shot a resentful glare his way.
“That said, I can’t just casually ask Princess Clariossa to go bug hunting. You’re not Yurika, you know?”
Clan was a princess of a galactic empire, and Koutarou was trying to be considerate in his own way.
“That’s a big mistake. I am not planning on treating you like a legendary knight in return, you know?”
“Then you’d come if I invited you?”
“Of course. I’m just Clan, your partner. I have no way of being Princess Clariossa around you anymore.”
“You know, you’re a really great girl!”
Since Kenji refused to go with him lately, Koutarou welcomed anyone who was willing to come along on his bug-nabbing adventures. And for a girl to agree to it, she was like a goddess in Koutarou’s eyes, which were gleaming with admiration as he looked at Clan.
“I wish you had realized that sooner. Jeez...”
“Sorry, sorry... Anyways, keep your weekends open during July and August. We’ll be going all summer.”
“Very well. I’ll start thinking of insect traps.”
A smile returned to Clan’s face.
Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since we’ve been like this...
Clan recalled her time-travelling together with Koutarou, which put her in a high spirits. She loved the life she currently lived surrounded by friends, but she couldn’t resist the temptations of tromping through the mountains with just Koutarou. It was a considerable change for a girl who used to spend all her time locked up in her laboratory.
“Thanks. But in the end, I’m still just causing you trouble.”
“You can’t call something like this trouble. Besides, if we can show the children aboard Blue Knight insects from this planet, I’m sure they’d love it.”
“Clan... you...”
The children would love it. The words Clan had casually spoken tugged at Koutarou’s heart. Thinking of her citizens wasn’t something Clan had done in the past. But now that she’d obtained a nature befitting of a princess, Clan looked as splendid of a royal as Theia did to Koutarou.
“What’s the matter? You’re making a strange face.”
“It’s nothing. I was just admiring Her Highness, who is being more wonderful than normal today.”
“I-Idiot!”
Clan swiftly cut off the call, thinking she was being teased.
“I was being serious though...”
Truth be told, Koutarou was troubled. He was now Theia’s vassal, but he also wanted to help out Clan. He couldn’t have two lords, so it was quite a vexing problem.
“Regardless... I have to catch a huge beetle this year.”
The problem of who he served wouldn’t be solved right away. But since Koutarou wanted to see the children and Clan smiling with joy, he decided that he would catch the biggest beetle he could find for them.
There was no way that Clan would have any equipment for hunting insects, and Koutarou couldn’t let her go with him empty-handed since he was the one who invited her. So he went to the shopping street with the intention of buying a second net and cage.
“I’m sure Clan could whip up some invention for this, but real bug hunting should be done with some old-fashioned heart.”
He figured that if Clan got serious, she wouldn’t have trouble coming up with some invention or another that would capture every beetle on the mountain. But he wanted her to swing a net around and get a proper feel for insect hunting. The children would probably respect her more that way too.
“Clan’s short and doesn’t have a lot of stamina... so maybe one of these kid’s nets would be good. But she’d probably get angry if she found out. I need to make sure I remove the label before I give it to her...”
Koutarou entered a toy shop to look for equipment for Clan. She was a good girl, but just like Theia, she was extremely prideful. He’d have to be careful picking out a net for her.
“Oh?”
That was when Koutarou caught sight of a familiar girl by the entrance out of the corner of his eye. She hadn’t noticed him inside, and simply passed by the storefront. Her expression bothered him a little, so he returned the net to the shelf and chased after her.
“Landlord-san!”
“Huh? Oh, Satomi-kun.”
The girl who turned around when Koutarou called after her was none other than Shizuka. But something was wrong. Her normally cheerful expression was nowhere to be seen. She was smiling, but it was somehow sad and lonely—the opposite of her usual positive and bright smile.
I can’t say I like that look on her...
The only time the people around Koutarou made that kind of face was when they were shouldering some kind of problem. A recent example was Theia, but the one that had left the biggest impression on him was Alaia. That’s why he’d come after Shizuka. He couldn’t just ignore her when she was like this.
“Did something happen?”
“No, nothing at all.”
Shizuka shook her head, still smiling. But Koutarou couldn’t accept that answer.
“It sure doesn’t look like that to me.”
“It might look like that way, but it’s nothing new. It happened several years ago...”
Shizuka showed what she was holding in both hands to Koutarou.
So... that’s what it is...
Shizuka was carrying a large bouquet. And if it was talking about something that had happened several years ago, there weren’t that many possibilities.
“The Kasagi Family Grave.” That was what was written on the tombstone. Below it, Shizuka’s ancestors rested in peace. This had been Shizuka’s destination. After setting down the bouquet and lighting some incense, she put her hands together and bowed her head in front of the grave. Koutarou followed her lead. He didn’t want to leave her alone like this, so he’d come with her to the cemetery.
“...Thank you, Satomi-kun.”
After Koutarou finished his prayer, Shizuka bowed deeply to him in a display of gratitude.
“No, you’re always helping me, and you’re keeping Corona House clean and easy to live in... so...”
“Thank you. I mean it. I’m sure... dad and mom are happy.”
Shizuka looked up and smiled. But she looked so very sad. There were tears forming in her eyes.
As the tombstone indicated, this was where Shizuka’s family rested. That included Shizuka’s parents, who had passed away several years ago. Today was the anniversary of their deaths.
After finishing her prayers, Shizuka sat there facing the tombstone for a while. Koutarou figured that she had some catching up to do with her parents, so he left her be and took a seat on a nearby bench.
You can see Corona House from here...
The graveyard was at an elevated area, and the bench was placed near the edge of the grounds. As a result, Koutarou could see most of the city from where he sat, and right in the middle of the view was Corona House. Koutarou thought to himself that Shizuka’s parents probably watched over her from the very same bench.
But... still, she must be lonely...
Even though she was being watched over, there had to be times Shizuka felt alone. Koutarou knew a little bit what it was like. Losing family wasn’t easy. It could only be harder when it was both parents.
“You’re wide open!”
As Koutarou was deep in thought, someone snuck up on him and let fly a swift karate chop. It struck Koutarou on the back of his head, but since there was absolutely no force behind it, it only rattled his head a little.
“Ouch.”
“Heehee, I wonder if I could have beat you if I had been serious.”
The person who’d attacked him from behind him was Shizuka. She had finished talking to her parents and had come over to let him know, but when she saw how defenseless he was, she’d taken the mischievous attack of opportunity.
“Hahaha. Please spare me, Landlord-san.”
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t get serious with you.”
Shizuka circled around the bench with light steps and sat down next to Koutarou. When he looked at her, she had a happy smile.
“Why not?”
“Because I’d be troubled if you left your apartment. Financially speaking.”
“That’s an awfully calculating reason.”
“That’s right. In order for a high school landlord to survive these days, you need to be calculating.”
Now that Shizuka had been able to sort out some of her feelings after talking to her parents, she’d regained some of her cheerfulness. She wasn’t back to her full brightness, however, so Koutarou thought it was his job to help her with that.
“Hahaha. I have to say I’m a bit surprised, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“I didn’t think our relationship was built on money.”
“If I admitted that, it would be harder to collect rent.”
In truth, Shizuka felt like she had a much deeper relationship with the residents of room 106 than that of landlord and tenant. She hoped they felt the same way, too. But in order for her to survive, she still needed to collect money from the people she considered friends where it was due. And since that wasn’t an easy thing to do, she couldn’t admit that she considered them friends before she considered them tenants, at least on the surface.
“I see... Being a landlord sounds like a troublesome occupation.”
Shizuka’s subtle feelings reached Koutarou, and rather than take offense, he smiled at her.
“Really? I think it would be easier than a legendary hero.”
“The person in question just thinks of himself as a normal guy though.”
“Of course. Your job isn’t something you brag about, and it’s not something you became because you wanted to.”
“Isn’t that the same for you? You should be allowed to just be a normal high schooler too.”
“That... might be true...”
Shizuka’s smile vanished and she turned back towards the cemetery. If her parents were still alive, she would have just been a normal high school girl.
“...How did you become a landlord, anyway?”
How did her parents die? Koutarou refrained from asking the question directly. In all honesty, he wanted to avoid the question entirely. But if he did, then he would never be able to be of any real help to Shizuka. So while it might have been a touchy subject, it was something he had to know.
“We went on a trip as a family. The boiler in the hotel we were staying at exploded. My parents were caught in the fire it caused...”
Shizuka had never talked about her past much. She didn’t want anyone’s sympathy. But when Koutarou asked about it, she answered him quite honestly. She knew about his past, after all, so she believed that he would understand without showing her any unwanted pity.
“...Dad and mom gave their lives to protect me. Dad perished in the fire, and mom inhaled too much smoke. ‘Don’t take any deep breaths...’ ‘We’ll protect you no matter what...’ Those were their last words that I remember...”
Even though she didn’t have any problem telling Koutarou, it was still hard to talk about. Her emotions swelled, and her voice gradually grew weaker.
“I was so young... I couldn’t do anything... I stayed wrapped up in a wet blanket while dad and mom carried me. I trained so hard at the dojo, but it was useless. I couldn’t do anything. I was just a powerless child that needed to be protected...”
Shizuka meekly mumbled those words as she clenched her right hand. She’d never forgotten the helplessness she felt on that day.
“That’s why... I decided to become stronger. I don’t ever want to feel that way again. I’ll protect what my mom and dad protected myself from now on...”
That was why Shizuka protected the building that her parents had left behind. She would properly manage it as its landlord, and make sure no accidents or fires ever occurred there. And she trained her body to be able to protect other people. So that her tenants would never have to go through what she did. In other words, Shizuka was far more concerned about her tenants than money.
“No wonder we didn’t stand a chance...” Koutarou mumbled and smiled wryly. He couldn’t help it.
“Eh?”
“I mean when we first came to room 106. Back then, you crushed all of us.”
“Ah... Something like that did happen, didn’t it...?”
“Unlike us who were just fighting over the room, you were trying to protect something. So of course we didn’t have a prayer against you.”
Koutarou was sure of it. Shizuka’s strength came from her desire to protect. She had a real reason to fight for something, unlike the rest of them who were just fighting for themselves.
“But it’s strange. Now I want to protect all of you, too.”
Shizuka flashed her own small wry smile while staring into her palms. It was strange. She now wanted to protect the very same people she’d used her fists against that day.
“I think I know what you mean.”
“Now that I think about it, your circumstances aren’t much different from mine, Satomi-kun.”
They had both lost family members, fought against outsiders to protect their homes, and now they were trying to protect the outsiders that had come into their lives. Koutarou and Shizuka had a lot in common.
“If you put it like that, we all might be pretty similar.”
“That’s true... Everyone wanted their own place...”
Everyone sought out room 106 for their own reasons. Yet they had all obtained something they wanted along the way. So while they all had different motivations, their desires were largely the same. They’d all struggled, searching for warmth and a place to call their own.
“Then the reason we’re all together now is all thanks to you, Landlord-san.”
“Me?”
“Yes. It’s because you were protecting Corona House that we could all get along.”
“I... brought everyone...”
Shizuka had never thought of it like that. Wide-eyed, she put her hands to her chest.
“I’m sure your parents would be happy.”
“Would they really...? Dad and mom...”
“Yes. At least, I think they would be.”
“Thank you, Satomi-kun. I’m very happy too...”
Shizuka had struggled ever since the day she lost her parents. Just in the past year, she had found her place again. The love she thought she’d lost for good that day now surrounded her. And it was because of that that the tears now flooding out from her eyes wouldn’t stop for quite some time.
Shizuka didn’t stop crying until the sun had begun to set and the cityscape was painted orange in its fading glow.
“I’m sorry, Satomi-kun. For making you wait such a long time...”
Finally back to her normal self, Shizuka hurriedly wiped her cheeks. It didn’t quite catch the last of all her tears, so Koutarou gently reached out with his hands to wipe away the rest.
“It’s fine. I think you should be allowed to cry when visiting your parents’ grave.”
“Ah...”
Shizuka was surprised by the warmth coming from Koutarou’s hand on her cheek. But the thought of rejecting it never crossed her mind. That warmth, after all, was one of the things she desired.
“Besides, if we come home with you crying, there might be a riot.”
“That... might be true...”
The warmth Shizuka felt slowly grew into something else. She had come into contact with Koutarou countless times before while they were exercising or practicing together. And because she trusted him, she’d never thought much of it.
Something’s strange...
But that was changing now. The warmth touching her cheek gave her a sense of fulfillment and security it never had before. She began feeling that she would surely find happiness if she entrusted herself to that warmth.
It’s not like anything’s different...
While it was true that nothing was different at face value—Shizuka and Koutarou were the same as they ever were—the vague feelings that had been brewing deep in her heart became a tiny fire of conviction.
Koutarou understood what Shizuka treasured, and he would treasure the same things with her. That was what Shizuka now believed. It was the smallest change in perspective that had been sparked by just a few words of conversation between them. It was so subtle that it might even go unnoticed by Shizuka herself. But that small change made all the difference in the world in how she felt.
A wish to be happy. Hope for the future. A racing heart and restless emotions.
Something Shizuka had never felt before bloomed inside of her, slowly growing and growing. She vaguely understood what that feeling was. Since she loved to gossip and talk to other girls about any and everything, she wasn’t so dense about this kind of thing that she wouldn’t pick up on it. But she still couldn’t accept it that easily. Like Koutarou, she was a lot more timid when it came to herself.
“Th-That’s right, Satomi-kun, there was something I wanted to ask you.”
Mustering all of her remaining will, she pretended everything was normal. Fortunately for her, that succeeded and she was able to talk to Koutarou like she always did. Of course, whether that was actually a good thing was up for debate.
“Sure. What is it?”
Koutarou didn’t hesitate to ask her what was up. He thought Shizuka seemed quite normal, though it was only natural for her to be a little emotional after visiting her family’s grave.
“Um... The truth is that I want you to give Aika-san some attention.”
“Aika-san? I see... She probably still hasn’t gotten used to her new life.”
“It’s not just that...”
Shizuka shook her head. With that, she was finally able to gather her thoughts and return to her usual self. Though it was something she had struggled to bring up, she was really worried for Maki.
“Satomi-kun, do you remember the other day when Aika-san wanted you to place a curse on her?”
“Yeah. Even though it was to deceive the enemy, that sure did surprise me.”
The other day, Maki had asked Koutarou to deprive her of her freedom. While doing so would allow them to fool Darkness Rainbow, the group had collectively decided to use different means to deceive them. What Maki suggested was simply too dangerous.
“Actually, Aika-san had something of an ulterior motive.”
“An ulterior motive? What would that be?”
“Aika-san was originally an orphan... Darkness Rainbow was the only place she ever belonged. And now she’s left them to come and stay with us, but she still hasn’t gotten her feelings in order.”
Maki was currently sharing room 206 with Shizuka. The two girls sympathized with each other’s circumstances, and as roommates, there was a lot that Maki had only confessed to Shizuka. That’s why Shizuka understood Maki’s feelings better than anyone else.
“That’s why Aika-san wanted a bond with someone so obvious that anyone could tell.”
“So she really wanted me to put a curse on her? Surely there has to be a better way...”
Koutarou was surprised. If what Shizuka was saying was true, Maki had wanted to create bond between them by carving it into her body. It was far too extreme and brutal.
“She’s so helplessly lonely that she wants any connection she can get.”
Maki was lonely. She had gotten closer with Koutarou, but they’d really only known each other a short time. While she believed in him and the others, she still often felt insecure.
Was it okay for her to be here? Was she needed? Was she unwanted?
Maki worried about a great deal of things. That’s why she wanted a bond that would put those worries out of her mind. Even if that essentially meant living with a gun pointed at her head. That muzzle aimed right at her would serve as proof. Acknowledgement that she was there. That someone wanted to keep her there. She was willing to give up her freedom if it meant she could feel that connection.
“Doesn’t that ring a bell to you, Satomi-kun? It does to me...”
“Yeah... It does to me too.”
Koutarou had felt something similar after losing his mother and his relationship with his father turned sour. He’d thrown himself into getting in fights. Though he was hurting himself doing it, it made him feel like he was still alive. That was more or less what Maki was doing now.
“Aika-san needs someone to save her from that. Just accepting her isn’t enough.”
“For me, that was baseball and Mackenzie...”
What had pulled Koutarou up from the depths of his insecurity was his baseball team, which included Kenji at the time. By making friends and working together with other people towards a common goal, he found meaning in living that he’d been missing before. And right now, that was what Maki needed. Koutarou understood what Shizuka was saying quite well.
“That might actually be the same reason Aika-san is always after your money. She wants to feel some security through an easy to understand bond like money.”
“Aika-san...”
When Shizuka pointed that out, Koutarou recalled when he and Maki had formed their contract. Deep inside, Maki was a lonely girl shivering inside of a dungeon. And just like Koutarou had been once, she couldn’t rely on others. Not even if she wanted to.
“So, Satomi-kun, I want you to help Aika-san until she can properly settle in.”
“Everyone just wants a place of their own, huh...?”
Koutarou had felt like he’d saved Maki just by bringing her to room 106. But that alone wasn’t enough. If left be, she would still spend her days in anxiety. It was a problem that might eventually resolve itself even if he did nothing, but Koutarou couldn’t find it in himself to just stand aside.
“Please, Satomi-kun. We don’t need to protect just Aika-san’s place, but everyone’s...”
“Everyone’s place... Yeah, you’re right.”
Making a place for Maki to feel secure was the same as making a place where everyone could live and laugh together. It meant protecting all of them. A place for all of them to belong. It wasn’t just for Maki’s sake, but for everyone’s.
“I understand... I’ll think of something.”
He still didn’t know what he should do yet, but he would keep it in mind. As long as he did that, he was sure he would eventually find a solution.
“Thank you, Satomi-kun.”
With Koutarou agreeing to her request, tears began forming in Shizuka’s eyes again. He’d said exactly what she’d hoped he would, which made it hard for her to keep her feelings of joy at bay.
How embarrassing... I was trying to cover up these feelings...
Shizuka had brought up Maki to try and change the topic, but in the end, it led right back to the same place. Her plan had backfired. But that result may very well have been the same regardless of what she’d brought up. Her hope for the future and racing heart convinced her that she would be happy as long as she was with Koutarou.
“...Could I borrow your shoulder?”
“Sure.”
So Shizuka decided to stop fighting against her feelings. Even if she did, they would still sweep her away like this. And in that case, she figured she might as well just accept them. She also believed that Koutarou would accept her, even like that.
“Landlord-san... you’re crying again.”
A large hand wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
Now that I think about it, dad’s hands were like this...
Shizuka gave in accepted the sensation of satisfaction and security the touch of that masculine hand instilled in her.
“Heehee... Dad, mom, Aika-san, and everyone else, too... I have a lot to worry about...”
Shizuka gave herself over to the warm feelings spreading inside her and to the passage of time. As she did, everything she’d kept bottled up—all of her frozen feelings—slowly melted away. And with that, before long, Shizuka had regained some of the childlike innocence she had when she was with her parents.
Dad, mom... Don’t worry. I have Satomi-kun and everyone else with me. I’m fine. I’m happy now...
Shizuka now understood who she needed to be with in order to be happy. She understood where she belonged. And those were both things that she’d been looking for ever since losing her parents.
“Landlord-san.”
“Mm...What is it?”
Fully entrusting herself to the happiness she’d finally found, Shizuka looked up at Koutarou with somewhat misty eyes. This boy was just supposed to have been another tenant. But before she knew it, he’d taken a prime spot amidst the things she treasured.
“This is just a hypothetical question, but... if we paid several decades of rent in advance and you could live like a normal girl again, would you be able to smile, Landlord-san?”
“Satomi-kun...”
And now this boy was trying to guide Shizuka herself to the same spot. He was saying that there was no need for her to just watch.
I see... So that’s what this is...
Up until now, Shizuka had been wondering why she’d fallen in love with Koutarou. But now she understood. He’d filled up that empty place in her heart. And she could fill up the empty place in his. People were attracted to one another because they believed that they needed each other. In short, everyone wanted a place where they belonged.
“Heehee, Satomi-kun, let me tell you something.”
“Huh?”
“There’s an easier and cheaper method than paying rent upfront.”
“And that is?”
“That part, I can’t tell you. It’s something you have to realize yourself, or it would be pointless... heeheehee...”
Shizuka smiled and leaned on Koutarou’s shoulder. She had her pride, after all. He’d just have to figure it out for himself.
With the height of summer drawing ever nearer, the sun was setting later and later. So since waiting for nightfall would take too long, Koutarou and Shizuka decided to leave some time before that happened.
“By the way, what were you doing at the shopping street, Satomi-kun?”
“I was trying to find a new bug net and stuff.”
Shizuka’s expression once again was radiating its usual brightness. She was a bit more talkative than normal, however, and would lean on Koutarou from time to time. He figured it was because she was still feeling lonely after visiting her parents’ grave.
“So did Maximilian break? Was it Yurika?”
“No, nothing like that. Clan will be coming along too, so I wanted to get some equipment ready for her as well.”
“Hmm. You sure do treasure Clan-san a lot, Satomi-kun.”
Shizuka flashed a cheeky smile and nudged Koutarou with her elbow.
“That’s not really my...”
“Not really your intention?”
“Well, it is... But in that sense, I treasure all of you.”
“Then if I say I’ll come along, would you get a net for me too?”
“Well... Yeah, I would.”
Koutarou felt like it would be wrong to get one for Clan and not Shizuka. So if she was going, it would only be fair to prepare equipment for both of them.
“Heehee, Satomi-kun, isn’t there something you want to ask me?”
Shizuka took a few steps in front of Koutarou, spun around, and walked backwards as she smiled at him. That teasing smile reminded him of a child playing a prank on their parents.
“...Landlord-san, would you like to come bug hunting too?”
With an inkling of what was going through her mind, Koutarou asked her what she thought she wanted to hear. Shizuka didn’t have family anymore; the closest she had was Koutarou and the others. So in a way, she was treating him like she would family. Knowing that, he couldn’t find it in him to refuse her.
“Uhuh. And Aika-san can come too, right?”
“Of course, my lady. I was thinking of bringing her along even if I have to be pushy.”
“Then I’ll definitely come with you. Teeheehee...”
If Koutarou had any idea what Shizuka’s true intentions were, he probably would have been quite surprised. She was indeed feeling a little lonely because she couldn’t rely on her parents anymore. But she didn’t see Koutarou as a substitute. She simply wanted to be with him and rely on him for who he was. Unaware of that, all Koutarou was really focusing on was her strength.
Landlord-san really is something... Since she’s this strong, then maybe we don’t need to hide it from her...
Despite the emotional trip of visiting her parents’ grave, Shizuka hadn’t forgotten about Maki. Knowing how strong she must be to be thinking of someone else at a time like that, Koutarou began thinking that there might not be any reason to hide Alunaya’s existence from her after all.
Shizuka would surely be able to accept Alunaya. Moreover, this was nothing like keeping his visit to past Forthorthe a secret from Theia. Even if Shizuka found out, it wouldn’t have any political consequences. And so Koutarou slowly began to lean towards telling her the truth.
But... how should I tell her? She’ll still probably be shocked. I should check with Clan first...
While Koutarou wanted to tell her, it wasn’t something he could just come out and say without any forethought. But fortunately, Shizuka would be joining Koutarou and Clan on their bug hunting adventure. He would consult with Clan beforehand, and if possible, reveal things to her then.
“What’s wrong, Satomi-kun? You have such a serious look on your face. Ah, could it be that you’re having a hard time financially?”
Seeing Koutarou fall silent, Shizuka worried she’d made an unreasonable request and put him in a difficult spot. Since that wasn’t her intention, her smile withered away at a rapid pace.
“I’m sorry for kinda forcing you into it. Aika-san and I don’t need equipment, though. We just want to tag along.”
“No, it’s not that...”
Koutarou hurriedly began thinking of an excuse. While he’d fallen silent in the middle of their conversation, he couldn’t tell her the real reason why. But money wasn’t the issue, and he didn’t want Shizuka to needlessly worry. In fact, Koutarou currently had money to spare. In order to celebrate him officially becoming her vassal, Theia wanted to give Koutarou a salary. She enjoyed indulging in things that really made her feel like his master.
“We’ll... be going a lot during the summer, so I was just wondering if you and Aika-san will be okay with that.”
“If anything, that’s more convenient. I think it’d be best if Aika-san gets into a routine.”
“Landlord-san...”
Though Koutarou only said what he did to disguise what he was really thinking about, it ended up highlighting Shizuka’s generosity even more.
She really is amazing... I should definitely tell her the truth as soon as possible...
In just a single day, Koutarou’s impression of Shizuka had changed dramatically. It was enough to convince him that he should be honest with her. And as Koutarou made up his mind on the matter, Shizuka unexpectedly stopped walking.
“What’s that, I wonder...?” she mumbled, staring straight ahead.
“What’s the matter?”
Noticing that Shizuka had stopped, Koutarou followed suit. When he did, she pointed at something a little further up ahead and to the right.
“Koutarou, look over there. Doesn’t that look like smoke?”
“It does. Maybe someone is making a campfire?”
Smoke was rising from somewhere in the direction Shizuka was pointing. Seeing it, Koutarou’s first thought was that someone had probably made a fire. But summer wasn’t in full force yet, so it wasn’t quite the season for campfires. On top of that, the smoke rising up into the air was pitch black. It wasn’t the kind of smoke that a controlled fire gave off.
“No, that’s not a campfire! This is the middle of a residential district! Nobody would set up a campfire here!”
“Is it a real fire?!”
By the time Koutarou finished his sentence, Shizuka was already running. He was so fixated on the smoke that he hadn’t noticed her taking off at first, and couldn’t do anything to stop her.
Koutarou stood before the burning building. It was an old, three-story private housing unit, and even though it had only just caught fire, it was already wrapped in searing flames. Between the stiff evening breeze and the house being made mostly of wood, it burst into flames incredibly quickly.
“Satomi-kun, call the fire department!”
“Right!”
When Koutarou and Shizuka arrived, there was no fire truck on the scene and no one doing anything about the flames. Onlookers were only just starting to gather, and it was unclear whether anyone had called the authorities yet or not. So the first thing they did upon arriving was contact the fire department using their cellphone to report the fire.
“Hello, is this the fire department?! There’s a fire!”
“Satomi-kun, someone’s coming out! I’ll leave this to you!”
“Landlord-san?! Ah, sorry, the address is—”
Two people appeared from the entrance of the burning house. It was an elderly couple, and they slowly edged forward while supporting each other. Shizuka immediately raced over to help them, leaving talking to the fire department to Koutarou. The flames roaring from the building were strong, and Shizuka felt like she was being roasted just getting closer.
Dad, mom...
She’d felt that same sensation once before. The heat washing over her was exactly like she’d felt in the fire where she lost her parents. Partially because of that, an image of Shizuka’s parents overlapped with the two people standing in front of her in her mind.
“Are you okay?!”
Once she reached the couple, Shizuka helped them move to a safe place.
I wonder if dad and mom looked like this... when they were carrying me...
As she was helping them, Shizuka was stunned by their appearance. They were covered in soot and sweat, and they looked exhausted. Practically all she could do was stare.
“O-Our granddaughter is still inside!”
“Please tell the firefighters!”
“What...”
However, Shizuka returned to her senses when she heard what they said. And even more striking than that was the faint voice that reached her ears next.
“Papa! Mama! Grandpa! Grandma!”
Shizuka looked in the direction of the voice and spotted a young girl in a window on the third floor. She was desperately beating on the windowpane with tears in her eyes as the flames drew nearer behind her.
“Yuuka!”
“It’s okay, Yuu-chan! The firefighters are coming to save you!”
They’d heard her too, the elderly couple shouted out to her.
They won’t make it!
The fire was raging so viciously that it was obvious the girl wouldn’t make it if they waited for help to arrive.
“Oh no! Wait, young lady!”
“You mustn’t put your own life in danger!”
Koutarou heard the elderly couple’s shouting as he got off the phone with the fire department, and looked towards the fire, expecting the worst.
“Landlord-san, no! Wait!”
But what he saw was Shizuka’s back as she rushed into the burning building.
Shizuka was aware of the foolishness of her actions. It probably wasn’t something she would have done under ordinary circumstances. But because of the timing, because of what day it was... She ran in without a second thought.
Dad, mom... I’m no longer a helpless child!
The elderly couple and the young girl reminded Shizuka of her own family. Her parents had walked through the flames to protect her, and it had cost them their lives. If only she’d been able to do something back then, the outcome might have been different. That was what she’d always thought. That’s why she trained her body and continued protecting Corona House on her own. But there was no way to know if it would actually make a difference. That doubt plagued her from time to time.
But right now, a sight similar to the fire from her past was right in front of her. Shizuka thought of it as a chance to test whether or not she had the power to change things. If she was able to save the girl inside, she would know for sure that she was no longer helpless. She would be able to do what she hadn’t been able to in the past.
That’s why Shizuka, despite knowing that her actions were foolish, raced into the burning building. The fact that the fire trucks wouldn’t make it in time drove her forward as well. But she wasn’t acting out of pure selflessness. This meant something to her personally. She wanted to stare her past in its fiery eyes and retake her future.
The third floor! I have to get up to the third floor!
Entering through the front door, Shizuka began looking for stairs up to the next level. Since the girl was on the third floor, that would be her fastest path there.
There’s so much smoke... and it’s so hot...
Shizuka quickly realized that making it there wouldn’t be easy. Her vision was obstructed by the rising smoke and flames. Since the smoke naturally travelled upwards, it concealed the stairs from view. And now that she was surrounded by fire, she began feeling the mental pressure of the situation. Being in a house she was totally unfamiliar with, finding the stairs proved exceptionally challenging.
Calm down, Shizuka! This is a normal house! The stairs should be exactly where you’d expect them to be!
Shizuka attempted to calm herself down as she took one step after another into the hallway. In smaller houses, the stairs were often right by the front entrance. But since this was a bigger house, the stairs were likely somewhere out of view from the front door so guests wouldn’t have to look at them when they came over. That said, the stairs should still be connected to the hallway for the sake of convenience. So as long as she moved down the hall, she would find them eventually. Thinking that, Shizuka suppressed her panic and continued her search.
There they are!
Her efforts paid off. She stumbled across the stairs towards the end of the hallway. Since the smoke billowing up them made it impossible to see anything upstairs, she had no way of knowing what kind of condition the upper floors were in. She fought back the urge to rush up immediately, and instead proceeded with caution. Halfway up to the next floor, she spotted several books lying on the staircase. If she’d run, she very well may have tripped on them and found herself in danger.
To think just the smoke was this hot...
With the dense smoke swirling around her, Shizuka was practically blinded. It stung her eyes and naturally provoked tears. But nevertheless, she pushed forward. She slowly crawled up to the second floor while paying close attention to her footing.
“Ack, hack...”
After inhaling smoke all the way up the stairs, Shizuka found herself in a violent coughing fit by the time she reached the second floor. That caused her to inhale even more smoke; it was a vicious cycle. The smoke on the second floor was even thicker smoke than on the first, especially by the stairway.
I need to stay low...
Shizuka was close to panicking as she struggled to breathe, but she barely managed to keep her cool. She summoned all the knowledge she’d learned from fire drills and got as low to the floor as she could. Since there was less smoke there, she could breathe somewhat normally again.
I have to hurry up to the third floor...
She took several deep breaths to calm both her racing mind and her pulse. Getting a hold of herself, she took a good look around the second floor. The fire was more intense here than it had been downstairs. Since both flames and smoke moved upwards, she’d expected about that much. But that meant things would probably be even worse on the third floor. Shizuka prayed that the fire hadn’t spread too far as her thoughts turned to the young girl upstairs.
I’m a little burned... but otherwise, I’m perfectly fine! I can still do this!
As she worked her way through the building, Shizuka had gotten burned in several places. That much was unavoidable, but it wasn’t bad enough to keep her from moving. After telling herself that she was all right, Shizuka began to climb the stairs to the third floor. Since the stairway continued up from the first floor, there was no need for her to go looking for them again. But something stopped Shizuka in her tracks.
The stairs are burning!
The fire had already spread to the stairs leading up to the third floor. In order to reach the little girl, she would need to cross through those flames. Since the stairs weren’t completely on fire yet, she thought it would be possible to cross if she moved quickly.
I see, so that’s why that old couple...
For an elderly couple, it was a feat that would be near impossible. They’d probably had to give up on saving their granddaughter themselves here and decided to go get help instead.
But I can do it!
Determination flared up in Shizuka’s eyes as she backed away from the stairs. She then lowered her posture and took a few deep breaths. She was going to hold her breath and dash up to the third floor. She was quite confident in her body and what she was capable of. She was stronger and faster than an average man. The same was true for her lung capacity. She was no longer the powerless child that her parents had had to save. Shizuka believed she could make a difference now.
Here I go!
She held her breath and charged ahead. Only one or two of the stairs were actually on fire, so if she could dash right past them, she was sure she’d be fine. And indeed, her steps were light and she bounded up the stairs just like she’d imagined herself doing. Just before she reached the burning section of stairs, she kicked off the step she was on and took a grand leap.
Hngh!
Though it was only for a moment, her body was engulfed in roaring flames. She grimaced in pain as she sailed through the air, but she didn’t let it get the better of her. She maintained her balance as she landed and darted up the rest of the stairs, at last reaching the third floor.
“Hahh, hahh, hahh... I-I should have taken the skirt into consideration...”
Finally at her destination, Shizuka crouched down and gasped for air. Though she’d only held her breath for a few seconds, her body demanded oxygen after that intense action.
But now I can save that girl...
It was getting harder to breathe and everywhere she’d been burned was really hurting now, but she’d made it the third floor. Her goal was within reach. She’d be able to help the little girl.
Dad, mom, are you watching? I’ve gotten stronger, haven’t I...?
Strictly speaking, what Shizuka was trying to save wasn’t the little girl, but the helpless version of herself she’d been in the past.
Here we go, Shizuka... Just a little more to go!
Shizuka poured strength into her arms and pushed herself up. Next, her legs. She remembered which room the girl had been in. As long as she could stand, she could make it there within a few seconds. The finish line was right in front of her.
H-Huh...
But it wouldn’t be that easy. As she went to stand, she suddenly couldn’t see and strength left her lower body. She promptly fell back down towards the floor. She tried moving her arms to catch herself, but they wouldn’t move either. Down she went.
Why...? I should still... be able to continue...
Shizuka’s consciousness began fading. But it wasn’t from slamming into the floor. She was in a state of hypoxia.
Fire consumed oxygen in an enclosed environment at an alarming rate. And on top of that, smoke produced things like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which further diluted what oxygen was left in the air. It was especially serious on the third floor. But Shizuka had expected that and taken precautions. She’d stayed low and only took shallow breaths when she could help it, doing her best to keep her heart from pumping too fast. That should have lowered her rate oxygen consumption, keeping her up and going for as long as possible.
But one thing had thrown that all off—the fire burning on the stairs leading to the third floor. She was so focused on getting through the flames that she’d forgotten all the other steps she was taking to keep herself safe. Rushing up the stairs had required a lot of oxygen. She expended the majority of what she’d been trying to conserve, and she needed to intake oxygen to replace it once she got to the top. But the air on the third floor was even thinner and more polluted than it was on the other floors. As a result, she was unable to replenish the oxygen she so desperately needed and entered a state of hypoxia.
Shizuka had indeed grown. She had a sturdy body and a quick wit. She was no longer like the powerless child she had been several years before. But there was no denying that she was only human.
My body... won’t move... I still... couldn’t do anything... Will I... die like this...? Completely helpless...?
As her consciousness faded, she was overcome by a feeling of powerlessness. She had worked so hard up until this day, but in the end, it still didn’t make a difference. She couldn’t do anything after all.
It wasn’t.... supposed to end like this... No... I don’t want this...
Shizuka tried her best to move, but her suffocating body wouldn’t budge an inch. Right now, Shizuka was like a small boat that had lost its oars and was being carried out to sea by the waves of fate.
Why... Why am I this weak...? If only I were stronger... If I at least had the power to protect the ones I love...
It was painful. Shizuka was mortified. Tears streamed out of her eyes. Her body couldn’t respond to her at all. All she could do was cry. And as the first tear hit the floor...
“Girl, can you hear me?”
Someone’s voice reached Shizuka’s ears, though not as sound. She could no longer hear anything around her.
“Who...?”
Unable even to comprehend the bizarre situation that was developing, Shizuka responded to the voice. As she did, it began speaking to her again in an authoritative yet calm manner.
“Hear me, little one. Two thousand years ago in a certain country, there was a great princess. Her country was endangered, yet she overcame the crisis that befell her and her people using only the talent—the power—within her.”
“She must have been strong...”
Shizuka praised the princess. It would take great strength to protect an entire country. Shizuka strove to be someone who could protect people like that.
“That’s right. While it wasn’t visible to the naked eye, she held a powerful strength within.”
There was more than one kind of strength, and it wasn’t always physical. It might manifest as the wisdom to see through others, the influence of money, or knowledge of medicine. The power the princess in question had was the power to attract others to her and lead them towards the future. The strength of a ruler—leadership.
“However, that was what made her unhappy.”
“Unhappy...? Even though she had such strength...?”
“Indeed. Having strength like that means that you can do everything on your own. You needn’t help. You needn’t other people. In short, the girl was too great of a princess. That’s why, though she was able to save her country, she was unable to be with the man she loved, and quietly lived out the rest of her life in solitude.”
“She was always alone...? Poor princess...”
“A strong power will isolate you. The same goes for you, little one. If you grow stronger than you are now, you will cross the line. You would become superhuman, and that strength would surely isolate you. That is the price to pay for power.”
“Solitude... is the price for strength...?”
The greater the power, the more unhappiness it brought. Money was a good example. When someone became rich enough, they would quickly find their family and friends increasing, which would naturally lead to doubt. At a certain point, they would even come to be suspicious of their true friends. In the end, the path of superlative wealth was an incredibly lonely one.
“If you so desire, I can grant you strength. The strength to protect the ones you love from any misfortune.”
“I want it. Of course I do.”
“But it will make you unhappy. You would have to give up your normal life. It would mean turning your back on things like marrying the person you love and having children. Do you desire my strength even then?”
The strength this voice was offering her was the power to be victorious in battle. If she obtained it, she would be thrust into a world of fighting, regardless of what she wished for. It would be drastically different from her life as an average high schooler. The owner of the voice offering her its strength thought that would be sad.
“Yes. It would be convenient.”
However, Shizuka saw it differently. She thought that not living a normal life would be helpful. That it was a good thing.
“Convenient, you say?”
The voice was puzzled by her unexpected reply. Shizuka happily explained.
“That’s right. The people I love all have strong powers. And just like you say, they’re lonely. Satomi-kun is the loneliest of them all. He’s the strongest, but also the loneliest. And in order to support him, I need to be strong enough to be able to walk by his side. So I would choose loneliness, or whatever else it took to do that. In this world, there are some people you can’t help without that kind of strength...”
“...I understand. So it’s that heart of yours that drew me in...”
This voice wasn’t talking to Shizuka by chance. No, it was no accident. It had chosen a person with a suitable heart—one that it could entrust with its power. And upon hearing Shizuka’s words, the owner of the voice understood why it had been drawn to her. It rejoiced that it hadn’t been wrong about her.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
But Shizuka, who was unaware of all that, was quite confused.
“It’s nothing. It’s just... if the princess of the sword thought like you did, she might have led a happy life.”
“Isn’t happiness all about the situation and mood, in the end?”
If one had a strong power, it stood to reason that they would end up unhappy living among normal people. But that might not be the case if they lived with other people with powers—other people like them. Shizuka didn’t believe for a moment that her strength would really be what determined her happiness.
“Well said. You truly are the embodiment of strength.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It is indeed. It is the highest degree of praise from me.”
“If you say so...”
Supposedly it was a compliment, but it didn’t feel like it to Shizuka. It didn’t exactly sound like the praise a girl her age should be getting. Thinking that, a nagging sense of doubt and dissatisfaction tugged at the back of her mind.
“That might be true for—”
Shizuka wanted to ask a little the owner the voice for the specifics of what it meant, but as she began to pose her question, she realized something important.
“Wait a minute. I still haven’t heard your name. I’m Shizuka. Who are you?”
Shizuka still didn’t know who she was talking to. She casually introduced herself and asked for the voice’s name in return, but the answer she got blew her mind.
“My name is Alunaya.”
“Huh?! You mean the one from the legends of Theia-chan’s homeland?!”
Shizuka was so surprised that her clouded consciousness that was fading away from hypoxia cleared up for a moment.
“The very same. I am known as the emperor of fire dragons. Shizuka, I will entrust you with my overwhelming power, and you may use it to protect whatever you wish. Now, let us get to it!”
“Ah, w-wait a minute! I still have so much to ask!”
The incredible power that had been hiding inside of her enveloped Shizuka. It welled up, pushing against her surrounds and against her fate. She was given the power to protect that which she held dear. And perhaps the power to draw ever so nearer to those who found themselves in solitude. Rather than pure strength, it was the power of hope. In the end, after all, Shizuka just wanted to make a place for herself, the same as everyone else.
Like that, Shizuka chose to coexist with the dragon of legend.
By the time Koutarou donned his armor and made it to the third floor, all he could see was the blazing fire.
“Where is Landlord-san?! Find her!”
Koutarou worried he was too late as he ordered his armor’s AI to track down Shizuka. Since his armor was originally a piece of equipment for a spaceship, it also doubled as a spacesuit. As such, he would be able move around the burning building without any problems as long he didn’t stick around for too long. But the same wasn’t true for Shizuka and the little girl who’d been left behind. He had to find them before they both succumbed to the growing inferno.
“Two life forms detected: four meters away at ten o’clock.”
“Well done! Let’s—”
“Both life forms are approaching. Warning: Generation of a shockwave confirmed. Deploying distortion field.”
“Wuh?!”
Before Koutarou could make it to her, Shizuka found him. The entire door in front of him, frame and all, were blown away. And on the other side appeared Shizuka, holding the little girl in her arms.
“Landlord-san?!”
“I’m sorry, Satomi-kun. I wasn’t able to properly control my strength. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. The armor protected me.”
Since Shizuka was holding the unconscious girl in her arms, she’d used a shockwave emitted from her mouth to blow out the door in her way. Koutarou had been on the other side, but fortunately he was in his armor and had a barrier field to protect him. If not, both he and the wall behind him would have been blown away along with the door.
“But Landlord-san, you look...”
“Ah, this? Uncle Alu saved me. But let’s talk about that later! We should get out of here!”
“Roger that!”
Koutarou was startled by Shizuka’s appearance, but he obediently followed her instructions. He could roughly imagine what had happened to her. There was a horn on her forehead, a set of large wings on her back, and a long tail protruding from the back of her waist. And to top it all off, her eyes were glowing red. It was a sight Koutarou had seen before, and proof that Alunaya’s powers were in effect.
After meeting up, Koutarou and Shizuka delivered the little girl to the elderly couple and quickly made their exit. While they had saved the girl, the fact that they’d both rushed into a burning building without waiting for the fire department to arrive was a bit of a problem. So they decided to clear the area before they got into any trouble.
“Give me a break, Landlord-san... That’s not like you.”
Koutarou used the time on their way back to Corona House to scold Shizuka. She was the first one to run into the building, and she’d done it so suddenly that he hadn’t been able to do anything to stop her. It was particularly surprising considering how levelheaded Shizuka ordinarily was. That’s why the look on Koutarou’s face and his words were especially stern right now. Normally, it would be Shizuka scolding someone else for being reckless.
“While everything worked out thanks to Alunaya-dono... who knows what would have happened without him?”
“I’m sorry, Satomi-kun. After visiting my mom and dad’s grave, they were all I could think about when I saw that fire. It got to me.”
Shizuka knew what she’d done. Even taking the circumstances into account, it was an incredibly dangerous stunt to pull. That’s why she was humbly reflecting on her actions as Koutarou scolded her.
“I know it was stupid, and I’m really sorry for making you worry. I’ll be careful to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
“Hahh... I’ll forgive you this one time.”
Koutarou quickly decided to forgive Shizuka. She was aware that she had made a mistake, and she was honestly sorry for it. Moreover, he understood how she felt. If he’d come across an accident similar to the one his mother was in after visiting her grave, he was sure he’d rush in without thinking of the consequences too. That’s why he couldn’t really blame Shizuka for what she’d done.
“There won’t be anyone that will be able to stop you in the future, so please be careful.”
“...Yeah.”
Shizuka timidly looked up at Koutarou’s face to see if he was angry or not. She then nodded, and her tense expression seemed to loosen up.
“But anyways, I’m glad everyone was okay.”
Koutarou smiled at Shizuka. Though she had been reckless, everything had turned out okay in the end. The little girl was safe and Shizuka was in one piece. Since the fate of the little girl was uncertain if they’d waited for the fire department, her rescue was worth celebrating even if Shizuka’s actions weren’t.
“Yeah...”
However, Shizuka still had a gloomy look on her face. She was looking down and let out a small sigh.
“Are you still bothered about it?”
Koutarou assumed that she was still kicking herself for being so impulsive. But Shizuka’s mind was somewhere else altogether.
“No. I mean, I am sorry about that, but that’s not it... In the end, I still couldn’t save anyone, just like when dad and mom died. So I’m disappointed that I haven’t grown at all...”
Shizuka was feeling down because she felt like all the training she’d done since that day was meaningless. Her parents had saved her back then, and this time it was Alunaya. Shizuka herself had been powerless in the fire. That was mortifying.
In order to walk alongside the people she loved, she would need to be stronger. It was now clear that her own strength wasn’t enough. She felt like she’d hit a wall, and it wasn’t something she’d get over anytime soon.
“I thought I would be able to do better, like you...” she said with a heavy sigh. “I’d like to learn the secret behind being a legendary hero.”
She felt like there was a vast gap between herself and Koutarou. Complex feelings were swirling inside of her, and she was having a hard time reigning them in.
“Landlord-san, there’s nothing I can teach you.”
“Are you saying I don’t have any talent?”
Shizuka couldn’t help the bitter smile that crept across her lips. It was a very self-torturing smile.
“That’s not what I meant...”
This time, Koutarou was the one who smiled bitterly.
“According to your way of thinking, I’ve never saved anyone with just my own strength before.”
With those words, Koutarou admitted his own incompetence. Of course, Shizuka couldn’t accept that. She stopped in her tracks and objected in an upset tone.
“That’s a lie! Satomi-kun, you’re always—”
“Always borrowing everyone else’s power to fight.”
Koutarou stopped as well and turned to face Shizuka. But in contrast to her, he spoke calmly.
“My power only amounts to being able to handle a sword a little. Truth be told, I’m far weaker than you are, Landlord-san. That’s why there’s nothing I can teach you.”
His sword, his armor, his psychic powers, his spiritual weapons, and his magic. Everything Koutarou used to fight was something he’d gotten from someone else. The only power he could boast of on his own was a bit of skill with the blade, which he’d worked to train in past Forthorthe. But even then, he couldn’t claim to be a martial arts expert like Shizuka. So if Shizuka was powerless, then what was he?
“I have an idea. The next time there’s trouble, why don’t I lend everything to you? I’m sure you’ll be able to do far more than I ever could.”
“Satomi-kun...”
Shizuka realized that Koutarou had the same look of helplessness in his eyes that she did.
That’s right... I even knew that’s the position Satomi-kun is in...
Shizuka and Koutarou had both matured upon experiencing similar events. That’s how she knew Koutarou had tasted the same powerlessness she had. Even if she asked him for the solution to overcoming it, he probably didn’t know. Once she realized that, Shizuka was embarrassed of her narrowmindedness. She wasn’t the only one who’d suffered a tragic past. Wasn’t that exactly why she believed she could walk by Koutarou’s side? She’d been so obsessed with strength that she’d overlooked something so basic, and so very important.
“...I’m sorry, Satomi-kun.”
Shizuka’s apology was brief, but loaded with all manner of emotion.
“Landlord-san... No, it’s fine.”
Each and every one of those feelings reached Koutarou. And once he understood how she felt, he realized that there was one piece of advice he could give her after all.
“Actually, Landlord-san, there is one thing.”
Koutarou smiled. It wasn’t a bitter smile this time, but a warm one intended for someone who shared his worries.
“And what is that?”
“What you need right now is to be able to honestly rely on others.”
“Rely... on others?”
“Yes. I was just like you once. I couldn’t forgive myself for not being able to do anything. I thought it was disgraceful to depend on other people...”
Koutarou couldn’t have protected the girls of room 106 or the people he’d met in past Forthorthe with just his own strength. It was only through the borrowed powers from his friends that he’d been able to accomplish anything. That’s why every time they showed him gratitude, he felt guilty about it.
“But... I have people I have to protect no matter how. And I need power to be able to do that. I don’t care whose power that is, because I don’t have the room to be picky.”
If he only grieved his powerlessness, Koutarou wouldn’t have been able to protect anyone. He had to make full use of the power that was given to him, no matter who it came from. He had something he wanted to protect more than his pride.
“So what about you, Landlord-san? What do you want to protect?”
As Koutarou asked her that, he began wondering if he was being mean and going a little too far. Shizuka sought strength because of the regret she felt over losing her family. That’s why, to her, strength wasn’t a goal but a means to an end. And knowing that, he knew there was only one answer she would give.
“I want to protect everyone. I want to be with everyone forever...”
“I see...”
Koutarou nodded. He was satisfied. Just as he thought, Shizuka was also after something more important than her pride.
“That’s about all I can teach you.”
“Satomi-kun...”
Tears began spilling out from Shizuka’s eyes. She felt like she now understood why Koutarou was so strong. It wasn’t because of his powers. He was strong because he acknowledged that he was weak. And that led Shizuka to come to understand something else as well.
“Hey, Satomi-kun...”
She wanted him to see it too. She was so eager to tell him that she even neglected to wipe away her own tears.
“You said that you had never saved anyone, right?”
“Yeah, I did...”
“But... But you know that’s not true.”
“Huh?”
Koutarou let out a puzzled voice. Shizuka was looking at him, though she couldn’t see his face through her overflowing tears.
“You just saved me. You saved me all by yourself, without borrowing anyone else’s power.”
“Landlord-san...”
“You’re not powerless. Stay confident. You definitely have the power to save others.”
Shizuka took Koutarou’s hand and squeezed it tightly. As she did, her tears fell onto the back of his hand.
It’s so warm...
From the warmth of Shizuka’s hand and tears, Koutarou knew that she was being sincere. And in response, he squeezed her hand right back, conveying just as much warmth.
“Then that’s true for you too Landlord-san. You just saved me too.”
“...Satomi-kun!”
In that moment, Shizuka let go of Koutarou’s hand and wrapped both of her arms around him in a hug. She knew that doing it so suddenly would probably surprise him, but she was unable to contain herself. She was convinced more than ever that this was where she belonged.
“Landlord-san...?”
“Don’t forget. Whether you’re weak or strong... I love you.”
And she was confident that Koutarou wouldn’t reject her, even for acting this way.
“...Thank you, Landlord-san. I love you too...”
Because Koutarou had said so himself. That she should rely on others more.
Upon returning to room 106, Koutarou and Shizuka explained to the other girls what had happened and introduced them to Alunaya. They were all surprised, but at the same time, it made a certain amount of sense.
“I see... No wonder Shizuka has always been so strong... It must be the effects of Alunaya-dono’s powers...”
“That would be the case. I held back my power until the Blue Knight summoned me, but even then, some of the spiritual energy leaked out and strengthened Shizuka’s body.”
“Hey, this is kinda like that Enter the Dragon movie or whatever.”
“Sanae-chan, I think that was a little different...”
Back when the girls first invaded room 106, Shizuka had used her combat prowess to overwhelm them and suppress their riot. Thinking about it rationally, there was no way that a normal high school girl would be able to defeat a ghost, an alien, and an underground dweller all at once. That’s why no one had any trouble accepting that Alunaya had always been inside of Shizuka. If anything, this answered a long-unresolved mystery.
“Anyways, I give you all my best regards for the future.”
Alunaya was currently running mana through the crest on Koutarou’s right hand to project a small image of himself, something like a hologram. The projected Alunaya looked quite happy. He had originally come to this world for fun and to visit Koutarou. So not having to hide his identity any longer was a big plus for him. Now he would be able to move about freely, and he was planning on asking Koutarou and Shizuka to go on a trip to see the world.
“By the way, Uncle Alu, how long will you be staying on Earth?” Shizuka asked as she turned to him.
She could actually speak to Alunaya in her mind, but if she did that, no one else would be able to join in on the conversation.
“About that, Shizuka...”
Alunaya responded to Shizuka in a cheerful tone. He was a very sociable being, and curious by nature. He even had a niece around the same age as Shizuka, so he did indeed feel like an uncle to her and the other girls.
“I will stay until everyone is safe enough. I’m worried about you, after all.”
Koutarou was a precious friend of Alunaya’s. That’s why he wouldn’t leave while Koutarou and the others were still in any kind of danger. He was at the very least planning on sticking around and helping out until their situation stabilized.
“And after that?”
“I will stay until I get sick of this planet, or until you no longer need me, Shizuka.”
Alunaya looked around as he said that. To him, Earth was completely foreign. He was interested in everything he saw.
“...Then you’ll stay as long as I don’t hate you?”
“Indeed. I can’t imagine that I’d be able to see all of this planet’s attractions in a mere hundred years.”
With the overwhelming mana coursing through their bodies, elder dragons had lifespan far longer than that of humans. Thanks to that, a century felt like nothing to Alunaya. Comparing it to a human’s perspective, it was only the equivalent of a few years. Besides, what had come to Earth was really just a copy of Alunaya’s soul and his mana. He would eventually rejoin with his real body, but the time spent on Earth wouldn’t pose much of a problem.
“Good.”
Alunaya telling her how things would go down in the future gave her peace of mind. Alunaya’s eyes, which had been constantly darting around as he looked at everything, stopped on Shizuka’s smile.
“You welcome me? Are you not scared?”
“I was surprised, sure, but you’re Satomi-kun’s friend, so I’m not scared. And I was just thinking how happy I was to have someone always watching over me... I feel like I’ve made a new family member.”
“Me too. I feel like I’ve gotten more nieces.”
“Ahaha! Okay, but just make sure you don’t look at anything you shouldn’t, Uncle Alu.”
“Have no fear. My niece has scolded me thoroughly on such matters in the past, so there is no need to worry. I’ll make sure to close my eyes while you change or visit the bathroom.”
Alunaya smiled as he talked, revealing his fangs. He then continued by speaking directly to Shizuka’s mind so only she could hear.
“And I’ll take extra care when you build a family with the Blue Knight... Perhaps I’ll sleep for half a year or so...”
“Uncle Alu!”
Shizuka’s face turned beet red and she shouted out. But Alunaya didn’t seem to pay it any mind. He simply continued to smile at her cheerfully. It was indeed the look of an uncle watching over his niece.
“Sorry, sorry. Do you mean you would prefer if I watched?”
“Of course not, jeez...”
Shizuka’s angry expression reminded Alunaya of his niece back home. Seeing it, he began thinking that he would enjoy the time he spent on Earth here with Koutarou and these girls.
“Now then, with Shizuka angry, I believe it is time for me to go to sleep for a while.”
“Oh, you’re leaving already, dragon uncle?”
When Alunaya said he was leaving, Sanae frowned. Now that she’d officially become friends with a dragon, there were all kinds of things she wanted to ask him.
“You should stay a little longer.”
“Heh, I would love to, but I’ve pushed myself a little too far.”
“I see. What a shame. Will you come play again?”
“Of course.”
“Are you okay, Uncle Alu?”
“Regarding that, Shizuka, there is something I need to apologize for.”
“What? Are you sure you’re okay, uncle?”
“I am fine, but... to be honest, that transformation in the burning building sapped me of all my mana.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your weight will increase even more.”
With a long creak and a loud crack, Shizuka fell right through the tatami floor of room 106 and a good ways into the ground below.
“...Ah, are you okay, Shizuka?”
“I-I’m not... okay...”
And so Shizuka’s diet failed before it even began.
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